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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