Now, ‘Banana Covid’ hits plantations

News: Fusarium Wilt TR4 dubbed as Banana Covid is setting up new hotspots and threatening the output of Banana Cultivation  in India.

Facts:

• Tropical Race 4(TR4): It is a novel fungus strain that causes Fusarium wilt (aka Panama disease) in banana plants.
• Origin: It was first identified in Taiwan and has jumped from Asia to the Middle East and Africa reaching as far as Latin America. 
• Threat: It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves which turn yellow from their trailing edges before wilting away.
• Treatment: There is no effective remedy yet.Hence, scientists recommend biosecurity measures including plant quarantine to slow its spread.