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Training-Seminar on Major Diseases of Banana and their Management

with Focus on Fusarium Wilt Held at BPI-DNCRDPSC

The  Bureau of Plant Industry – Davao National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center (BPI-DNCRDPSC) conducted a “Training-Seminar on Major Banana Diseases with Focus on Fusarium Wilt” last  February 23, 2016 at the BPI-DNCRDPSC Farmers’ Pavilion, Bago Oshiro, Davao City.  The training was   aimed to equip banana farmers with adequate knowledge on Fusarium wilt disease and other major important diseases of banana and their management. 

The nature and importance of Fusarium wilt (Foc) disease, its distribution, impacts and management as well as the concepts and methods of biological control and the modes of action of selected microbial agents were discussed.  The project leader of the DOST-PCAARRD funded project “Development of Biological Control Agents against Foc TR4”, Dr. Belly Dionio presented  results on the efficiency of potential microbnial agents against Foc TR4.  Actual demonstration on the  preparation, mass production and application of the microbial agents was done.

Other important diseases of banana such as viruses, bacteria and other fungal diseases and their management were also discussed.  BPI-DNCRDPSC Center Chief, Dr. Lorna E. Herradura presented the importance and the requirements for accreditation of tissue culture laboratories to ensure production and distribution of high quality and disease-free banana planting materials.

The training was attended by a total of 50 participants comprised of banana growers, nursery owners, agricultural technicians, banana tissue culture laboratory owners and municipal agriculturist from the local government units in Davao Region.  BPI-DNCRDPSC held this training in collaboration with the University of Southeastern Philippines and funding support from the two DOST-PCAARRD funded projects “Development of Biological Control Agents against Foc” lead by Dr. Belly Dionio of USeP and Ms. Arceli G. Yebes of BPI-DNCRDPSC as one of the project staffs  and “Multi-location Performance Evaluation of a New Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) Resistant Cultivar” lead by Dr. Lorna e. Herradura (BPI-DNCRDPSC Center Chief).

PIC