Diseases of Banana and Plantain
(Musa spp.)

David R. Jones, collator (last update 10/9/97)

Alligator skin

Light abrasions on fruit peel caused by leaves or bracts

Anthracnose

Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Arx

Armillaria corn rot

Armillaria mellea (Vahl:Fr.) P. Kumm.

Armillaria tabescens (Scop.) Dennis, Orton & Hora

Bacterial wilt

Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith (race 1)

Black cross

Phyllachora musicola C. Booth & D. E. Shaw

Black leaf streak (black Sigatoka)

Mycosphaerella fijiensis M. Morelet

(anamorph: Paracercospora fijiensis (M. Morelet) Deighton)

Black root rot

Rosellinia bunodes (Berk. & Broome) Sacc.

Blood disease

Pseudomas spp.

Blue disease

Magnesium deficiency

Bract mosaic

Banana bract mosaic virus

Brown blotch

Pestalotiopsis leprogena (Speg.) Steyaert

Brown spot

Cercospora hayi Calp.

Bugtok

Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith (race 2)

Bunchy top

Banana bunchy top virus

Ceratocystis fruit rot

Ceratocystis paradoxa (Dade) C. Moreau

(anamorph: Chalara paradoxa (De Seynes) Sacc.)

Choke

Low winter temperatures

Cigar-end

Verticillium theobromae (Turconi) E. W. Mason &
    S. J. Hughes

Trachysphaera fructigena Tabor & Bunting

Cladosporium speckle

Cladosporium musae E. W. Mason

Corm dry rot

Junghuhnia vincta (Berk.) Hood & M. Dick

Cordana leaf spot

Cordana johnstonii M. B. Ellis

Cordana musae (Zimm.) Höhn

Crown rot

Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc.

Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & M. A. Curt.) Arx.

Verticillium theobromae (Turconi) E. W. Mason &
    S. J. Hughes

Fusarium spp.

Acremonium spp.

Cylindrocladium root rot

Cylindrocladium spp.

Damping-off

Deightoniella torulosa (Syd.) M. B. Ellis

Deightoniella fruit speckle, leaf spot and tip rot

Deightoniella torulosa (Syd.) M. B. Ellis

Diamond spot

Cercospora hayi Calp.

Fusarium spp.

Dwarf Cavendish tip rot

Nattrassia mangiferae (Syd. & P. Syd.) B. Sutton & Dyko

= Hendersonula toruloidea Nattrass

Dwarfism

Genetic mutation

Elephantiasis

Unknown cause

Eyespot

Dreschslera gigantea (Heald and F. A. Wolf) S. Ito

Finger tip rot (gumming)

Pseudomas spp.

Fruit chimera

Genetic mutation

Fruit freckle (freckle)

Guignardia musae Racib.

(anamorph: Phyllosticta musarum (Cooke) Aa)

Fruit rot

Botryosphaeria ribis Grossenb. & Duggar

Fungal root-rot

Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc.

(teleomorph: Nectria haematococca Berk. & Broome)

Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl.:Fr.

Rhizoctonia spp.

Fungal scald

Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Arx

Fusarium wilt (Panama disease)

Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl.:Fr. f. sp. cubense (E. F. Sm.) W. C. Snyder & H. N. Hansen

Fused fingers

Genetic defect

Giantism

Genetic mutation

Heart leaf unfurling disorder

Unknown cause

High mat

Unknown cause

Javanese vasular wilt

Pseudomas spp.

Leaf edge chlorosis

Unknown cause

Leaf rust

Uredo musae Cummins

Uromyces musae Henn.

Leaf speckle

Acrodontium simplex (G. Mang.) de Hoog

Leaf spot

Curvularia eragrostidis (Henn.) J. A. Mey.

Leaf spot

Drechslera musae-sapientum Hansf. & M. B. Ellis

Leaf spot

Leptosphaeria musarum Sacc. & Berl.

Leaf spot

Pestalotiopsis disseminata (Thüm.) Steyaert

Main stalk rot

Ceratocystis paradoxa (Dade) C. Moreau

Malayan leaf spot

Haplobasidion musae M. B. Ellis

Marasmiellus rot

Marasmiellus inoderma (Berk.) Singer

= Marasmius semiustus Berk. & M. A. Curt.

Maturity bronzing

Unknown cause

Moko

Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith (race 2)

Mosaic

Cucumber mosaic virus

Nematode root rot (burrowing nematode)

Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne

Peduncle rot

Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl.

Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc.

Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl.:Fr.

Verticillium theobromae (Turconi) E. W. Mason &
    S. J. Hughes

Pestalotiopsis leaf spot

Pestalotiopsis palmarum (Cooke) Steyaert

Phaeoseptoria leaf spot

Phaeoseptoria musae Punith.

Pitting

Pyricularia grisea Sacc.

Pseudostem heart rot

Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheld.

(teleomorph: Gibberella fujikuroi (Sawada) S. Ito in S. Ito
    & K. Kimura)

Rayadilla

Zinc deficiency

Rhizome rot

Erwinia carotovora (Jones) Holland

Erwinia chrysanthemi Buckholder, McFadden & Dimock

Root & rhizome rot

Cylindrocarpon musae C. Booth & R. H. Stover

Root-knot

Meloidogyne arenaria (Neae) Chitwood

Meloidogyne incognita (Kafoid & White) Chitwood

Meloidogyne javanica Treud

Root-lesion

Pratylenchus coffeae Zimm.

Pratylenchus goodeyi Sher. & Allen

Pratylenchus brachyurus God.

Pratylenchus reniformia Linford & Oliveira

Rosetting

Nitrogen deficiency

Roxana

Unknown cause

Sclerotinia fruit rot

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary

Sheath rot

Nectria foliicola Berk. & M. A. Curtis

Sigatoka

(yellow Sigatoka)

Mycosphaerella musicola J. L. Mulder in J. L. Mulder &
    R. H. Stover

(anamorph: Pseudocercospora musae (Zimm.) Deighton)

Sooty mold

Limacinula tenuis (Earle) Sacc. & Trotter in Sacc.

Speckle

Mycosphaerella musae (Speg.) Syd. & P. Syd.

Spike leaf

Low winter temperatures

Spiral nematode root damage

Helicotylenchus multicinctus Cobb

Helicotylenchus dihystera Cobb

Split peel

Rapid filling of pulp of fruit

Squirter (black end disease)

Nigrospora sphaerica (Sacc.) E. W. Mason

Stem-end rot

Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Arx

Streak

Banana streak virus

Taiwan marginal scorch

Unknown cause

Trachysphaera finger rot

Trachysphaera frutigena Tabor & Bunting

Tropical speckle

Ramichloridium musae (Stahel ex M. B. Ellis) De Hoog

= Veronaea musae Stahel ex M. B. Ellis

= Periconiella musae Stahel ex M. B. Ellis

Underpeel discolouration

Chilling injury to fruit

Verticillium tip rot

Verticillium theobromae (Turconi) E. W. Mason &
S. J. Hughes

Yellow mat

Unknown cause

Yellow pulp

Delay in fruit filling, drought, excessive shading, magnesium deficiency, poor nutrition

Yellows

Lack of water

Flooding

Nutritional disorders