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Australian NOVEMBER 2013 Banana NewsKEEPING GROWERS INFORMED $2.8m Freckle eradication starts in NT A $2.8 million eradication of a Banana Freckle incursion in the Northern Territory began in October with the Australian banana industry’s peak industry body, the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, fully supporting the move. The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) said eradication was essential given the threat posed to the national industry if Banana Freckle spread beyond the Northern Territory to major banana growing regions. Eradication begins: Banana pseudostems being loaded at a Howard Springs property. All ABGC began working with government loads were covered and transported for deep burial. and industry in July, when an incur- sion was first suspected, as part of a to the Northern Territory to assist the to its appearance. Consultative Committee on Emergency Department of Primary Industry and It is the first time the disease has been Plant Pests (CCEPP) to manage a response. Fisheries with the incursion response, found on Cavendish bananas in the The incursion was confirmed in an including addressing public meetings Northern Territory. Only two small announcement made on August 26. in Batchelor and Howard Springs, where incursions have occurred previously on freckle-infected Cavendish plants and After a decision to eradicate was Cavendish in the West Australian locations fruit had been found. He also attended announced on October 4, ABGC Chief of Kununurra in 1979 and Kalumburu in a meeting of the NT Horticulture Executive Officer Jim Pekin traveled 2001. Both incursions were eradicated. Association (see story Page 3). The incursion response, including the Banana Freckle (Phyllosticta cavendishii) is eradication announced in October, is part a fungal disease that covers banana plant of a national response plan supported leaves and fruit with raised black freckles by the ABGC, nursery association and all Incursion tracker that have the texture of sandpaper. The governments. July – Banana Freckle suspected on fruit is safe to eat but the disease reduces Cavendish plants at a Howard Springs plant yield and the fruit is unsaleable due … CONTINUED NEXT PAGE backyard property. Start of testing, property quarantines, plant tracing and surveillance. Government and industry New territory for TR4 trial response via the Consultative Committee The first plantings to screen The Northern Territory is the only known on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP). banana varieties for resistance location in Australia where TR4 is present. August – NT Government announces to the soil-borne fungal disease The disease has devastated the banana Banana Freckle (Phyllosticta cavendishii) Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) will industry there and also affects banana confirmed on suspected Howard Springs begin in December at a Northern production in parts of south-east Asia. property and another nearby property. Territory site. The trial site will also be important for field NT public awareness campaign begins as Banana Plant Protection Program (BPPP) experiments to better understand how to part of surveillance activities. Sub Program Leader Dr Mike Smith said manage the disease and to make further September – Surveillance continues. NT Williams bananas will be planted at the selections for improving varieties already Government prepares response plan. Coastal Plains Research Farm to act as showing some resistance to the disease, “sentinels” on the site. such as DPM-25 and Formosana. October – NT Government announces Banana Freckle found on more properties. “The plants will be used to test how The BPPP’s Dr Smith and Program Leader Eradication begins under the national widely and uniformly disease is still Dr Andre Drenth have been discussing response plan. present in the block, important for varietal the trial with Northern Territory scientists screening trials to follow,” he said. Bob Williams and Lucy Tran-Nguyen. IN THIS » NT community meetings » Plant trials bear fruit » AGM date for ABGC ISSUE » Regional update » $10,000 scholarship winner » Bananas’ Movember team biosecurity Year-long surveillance part of the plan The Northern Territory As at October 2013, the cost estimate Government’s Department of Primary Government’s response plan includes a $1.76 million commitment Industry and Fisheries, include: to eradicate Banana Freckle on from the NT Government and $1.05 quarantine of the infected properties Cavendish bananas will be a million in costs to be shared between preventing movement of banana fruit 12-month program currently esti- government and industry under the or banana plants mated to cost $2.8 million. Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. creation of a Restricted Area covering The banana industry’s share has been a one-kilometre radius around estimated at about $500,000. This will be infected properties, where growing the first banana industry response under and planting of bananas will be the EPPRD. prohibited. All banana plants within A process for all banana levy payers to this area will be destroyed fund such a response was recently put once eradication operations in place and banana growers will be fully are completed, surveillance of consulted when details are at hand. surrounding properties within a Key points of the eradication plan, two-kilometre radius of infected which is being implemented by the NT properties will be done for 12 months. Plants are deleafed and cut down at an infected NT property at Howard Springs. Talk biosecurity skills with your workers The importance of good on-farm visited areas where there are soil-borne disease is spread through soil, wet or biosecurity is being stressed diseases, such as Panama Tropical Race dry, and could enter banana-growing following the Banana Freckle 4 (TR4). regions in Queensland, Western Australia incursion and growers from all or New South Wales by being carried He said it would be well worthwhile to regions are being reminded to on footwear, tyres, vehicles, equipment, ask if prospective workers had visited talk with prospective workers pallets or other farm items. It can also be or worked on farms in the Northern about previous farm visits. transferred on planting material and the Territory, where TR4 remains active in movement of banana plants from the While the Banana Freckle species found soil, including on properties which previ- Northern Territory is prohibited. on Cavendish in the NT has only been ously farmed bananas but now farm found to spread when infected spores other produce. Those who had visited For more information on on-farm bios- are wet and moved by rain splashes, NT farms should dispose of footwear ecurity you can download the on-farm the Australian Banana Growers’ Council worn there. biosecurity manual from the ABGC is urging Australian growers to remain website, www.abgc.org.au. The warning is a part of continuing vigilant. biosecurity efforts to prevent the spread A growers’ meeting in north Queensland Chief Executive Officer Jim Pekin said of banana plant diseases. Apart from has discussed on-farm biosecu- growers should take extra precau- the current outbreak of Banana Freckle, rity measures following an industry tions when employing backpackers or the Territory is the only location in study tour’s report from a China and other workers who may have recently Australian where TR4 is present. The Philippines visit (see story, Page 7). $2.8m Freckle eradication starts in NT … CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ABGC Chairman Doug Phillips said it had the significant damage it has caused to backyard bananas at Howard Springs been important to move quickly given banana production in areas of south- and four were about 60 kilometres the official start of the wet season was east Asia.” further south at Rum Jungle and nearby November 1. Batchelor. Included were three homes There were further finds of the disease with backyard plants and a one-hectare “The ABGC has been working with since the outbreak was first announced organic banana farm at Rum Jungle government and other industry groups on August 26 when it had been which had supplied Darwin’s Rapid as part of a Consultative Committee on confirmed at two rural residential Creek farmers’ markets. Emergency Plant Pests to address this properties at Howard Springs, about 30 exotic pest outbreak and ABGC fully kilometres south east of Darwin. All properties were quarantined to supports the incursion response,” Mr prevent any movement of infected In early October it was announced the Phillips said. banana plants and fruit. Banana plants disease had been found on a total of were cut down and disposed of and the “Banana Freckle is a serious banana nine properties in two separate areas. stools treated to prevent regrowth. plant disease as has been shown by Five properties were rural homes with 2 Australian Banana News | November 2013 biosecurity Plants near infected sites must go, meetings hear Community meetings have been held in Northern Territory areas where banana plants are being removed as part of Banana Freckle eradication. The first meeting was held on October 12 at Batchelor. It was addressed by Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) Chief Executive Officer Jim Pekin and NT Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries Chief Plant Health Manager NT Chief Plant Health Manager Stephen West addresses a community meeting at Stephen West. Batchelor. ABGC CEO Jim Pekin also addressed the meeting. Another meeting followed on October Speaking at Batchelor, Mr Pekin said the All banana plant material on properties 17 at Howard Springs. These two areas eradication was necessary to protect the within this radius will be eradicated. are the focus of eradication efforts local and national banana industries. The Once the eradication is complete, no after infected Cavendish plants were industry was making a significant initial bananas can be grown in these areas for found on backyard properties and contribution to the response plan of twelve months. This will ensure that the on an organic banana farm. Mr Pekin about $500,000.

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