A strong warning is being issued to farmers around the island who are affected by the Black Sigatoka disease that their fields will be bypassed if are not ready to be sprayed.
The 10th spray cycle for the management of the disease is set to begin and an island-wide assessment done on farms has shown that some are not ready for treatment.
“They are infested with the disease, and they are not de-leafed,” Head of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Department in the Division of Agriculture, Ryan Anselm, told Dominica News Online.
As a consequence, he explained, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken a position that state resources will not be wasted on spraying abandoned and infested fields.
“So once you field is not de-leafed and cleaned we will not spray your field,” he noted. “So we are asking farmers to go out and clean the fields in preparation for the 10th spray cycle that should be commencing this week and next week.”
He said preparation include the necessary cultural and sanitation practices learnt such as de-tracking, weed control, improve drainage, which he stated will assist in the overall management of the disease.
Another critical area, Anselm noted, is the disposal of infested material.
He said the material should be piled in one location for small farms and two or three locations for larger farms instead of being all over the field. He said the infested leaves should be placed one on top the other “like a book,” to prevent the spread of the fungal spores and reducing inoculation.
The spray cycle was scheduled to begin last week but because of unprepared farms, the cycle was pushed back.
Another phantom in the night make belief that someone is saying something. Emphasizing de-leafing (cutting off ; of the visible infected leaves) and spraying with some chemical is not going to prevent the disease from spreading,
Since, “Black Sigatoka leaf spots begin as small reddish-brown flecks (1mm) on the lower leaf surface of the leaves. These gradually increase in size to form dark linear streaks (4-12mm) parallel to the leaf veins that are visible on both leaf surfaces.” So if the disease commences on the lower surface of the green leaves, which are not absolutely visible, and you remove the yellow dry leaves, while the organism Mycosphaerella fijiensis; which is the culprit remains on the leaves that are not cut.
What difference will the chopping off of the dry leaves make?
Not spraying the fields which have not been de-leafed will ontine to defeat the purpose of these spray cycles resultig in a wastage of State resources. The Ministry of Agriculture should consider a comprehensive management and containment programme by assisting farmers in de-leafing or eradicating those infested fields. The Government, under it’s National Employment (NEP)should engage teams of labourers island-wide to de-leaf or eradicate infested banana fields in advance of the spray teams.
Garcon, either you treat all bananas or you treat none at all. If not you are wasting your time. Just being angry with farmers that do not clean their fields may be understandable but that is no cure for Sigatoka. Sigatoka knows nothing about boundary. Just close down those fields.
Ryan Anselm boasted to the Daily Observer in Antigua (3 Dec., 2014) that soon Dominica will have its fair share of the market again and that production will increase within the first and second quarter of this year, 2015. Well mr. Anselm , first quarter gone and second quarter well on its way and we having trouble even finding bananas in Dominica itself for us to cook and eat and those we have are mege and expensive. We may have to import before too long ourselves.
But the fields that are not sprayed will affect the sprayed field so what’s the point.
how come is 10th cycle and my field was never sprayed… my field is always clean
You must be a UWP supporter
So what is the point of spraying some fields, but leaving others as a source of reinfection.
Why are the farmers not responsible and have their field prepared? It is to their benefit. Should the government continue to wait for them?
Are they interested in having their trees sprayed?
Why should others suffer for those who are negligent in not preparing their field after they were given ample time to do so? In fact, due to the condition of the leaves, they should have de-leafed them without having to be told.
The first time they were told was enough. They do not have to be reminded. There are some people who dilly-dally and take their sweet time about everything. Do not blame the government for that.
Mighty Facts, (Elizabeth told me that one of your supports who like the rubbish you write called you mighty) and also refer to her as “Great.”
Well Miss/Mrs mighty, what is the point of fumigating some fields , and leaving others, when the disease is carried by the wind.” If my plantation is next to yours, or even five miles from yours, your own is sprayed, and mine still has the disease carried by the wind what will happen to your field? Perhaps you should ask the Great about: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
You see how might and smart is the idiot who talk that crap? Now I cooking Red Snapper, and green fig today, (fu me fig doh come from Dominica). I buy south, and Central America green fig oui! Dominica banana, doh know how fu travel to California oui!
Farmers please abide and do as they say so we can save our bananas…
You should teach Francisco Telemaque to be amicable on this Website. I am tired of informing him but he continues with his disagreeable comments and attack those who he disagrees with as the Black Sigatoka attacks the banana leaves. That man, in his old age will never learn.
You can bring the horse to the water but you cannot make it drink. He is beyond learning to get along with others especially on this Website.
The Facts, do you know how to ignore some people on this forum? Do you know how to avoid making such judgmental comments against some people whose ideology you despise? Everyone has a right to their opinion but it seems like you tackle everyone who disagrees with you.
Food for thought