Banana Disease Model

Banana is one of the most important fruits worldwide. In its sweet form as Dollar Banana and in its non sweet cooking form it is a main part of the diet of people living in tropical countries. Since the late years of the ninteenth century banana starts to become the most important world trade fruit. Banana produced in Cental America and in the Caribbeans started to export to USA and to Europa. Nowadays banana is an important part of the fruit bascet of the industrial countries. With the increasing incomes in China and Eastern Europe new markets are producing new demands for banans.
There are two important leaf spot diseases in banana: Yellow Sigatoka and Black Sigatoka. Yellow Sigatoka caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella musicola has been spread trough all Banana growing areas whereas Black Sigatoka caused by the fungus M. fijiensis var. difformis was found in Fiji. Black Sigatoka is showing a much higher viulence than Yellow Sigatoka and because of that reason it became the most important disease on Banana in most of the banana growing countries.

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