Despite limited resources Dominica is said to be doing well in its management of the deadly Black Sigatoka disease.
In July Dominica joined the ranks of Caribbean banana producing countries fighting the disease, which affects banana and plantain plants.
Head of the plant quarantine unit in Dominica, Ryan Anselm said while the country has been improving its skills in fighting the disease, there is still room for improvement.
He said there is also limited resource to implement measures in controlling the disease.
“We have placed an integrated pest management together where we expect farmers to go into their fields on a weekly basis to do the necessary sanitation practices,” he said.
He said de-leafing of affected plants is very important.
“This is a process where you cut the infested part of the leaves. We are asking farmers to do this because it will help in the fight. Weed control and appropriate spacing is also another strategy,” he said.
According to Anselm, nutrition is also another strategy.
“We want farmers to provide nutrition to the plant because the black sigatoka is a fight between the leaf and the disease. The field must be sprayed with a potent fungicide. It must be recommended by the ministry of agriculture,” he added.
The movement of infested material is also another concerned raised.
Anselm said there are areas in Dominica which are free from the diseases and movement of infected materials can infest these areas.
come better than that MOA
From what I have understood, one farmer has successfully treated this disease with an organic fertilizer (plant and vegetable) that is being sold at the Pet shop in Roseau……..
Well let us hope that we move past such folk tales.
It is simply not possible to control the spread of Black Sigatoka with ‘organic fertilizer’. People, this is a serious disease which requires us to take several measures such as restricted movement of plant material, spraying with an approved fungicde, field sanitation as well as fertizer use. This is not going to be easy but we have no choice if we want to save what is left of the banana industry and plantain production.
Government for its part must provide the resources necessary to get the jobe done. It is not enough to say we are making progress, we must provide evidence that we are doing so.
very good.