Ecuador remains free of Fusarium race 4 and will evaluate a resistant banana variety, the Formosana

Iniap is in the process of signing an agreement. The plague was confirmed in Colombia 18 months ago and has been kept under control.

Eighteen months later, since August 8, 2019, when the Colombian authorities confirmed the presence of the fungusFusarium raza 4in its territory and the alarms are activated in the countries of the region, including Ecuador, the plague is still contained in the neighboring country, he assuredMónica Gallo, general coordinator of Plant Health of Agrocalidad, from Ecuador.

Fusarium race 4 is a highly aggressive and contagious fungus that affects banana plantations. In La Guajira, an area where it was detected in Colombia, the plague affected some 190 hectares, of the 50,000 planted.

"Since the alert for the presence of the tropical race 4 Fusarium cubense in Colombia, Ecuador has managed to maintain its status of exclusion, that is, the disease has not reached the country," confirmed Gallo, who assured that the measures that were adopted and that are still applied have given results.

Among these measures are the control of passengers in ports and airports, the disinfection of vehicles at land borders, the disinfection mats in airports, the disinfection of containers in seaports, the control of propagation material that is imported and the implementation of measures phytosanitary in production sites.

In addition, he indicated that the incentive strategy for the implementation of measures through training and delivery of footbaths, phytosanitary surveillance in the territory, among others, is being deployed.

However, in 2020 a factor entered the scene that helped keep the fungus out of the country, the coronavirus pandemic.COVID-19, due to the mobility restrictions that were applied in the region.

“In some way, the partial restriction on the movement of people could prevent Fusarium race 4 from moving in the region; while the pandemic has also contributed to raising awareness of the importance of disinfection and biosafety,” explained the official.

ForRichard Salazar, head of the Ecuadorian Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec), the arrival of COVID-19 greatly accentuated their biosecurity measures with workers.

“We continue to implement those measures; and the MAG, through Agrocalidad, has taken other measures such as the disinfection of containers that arrive in the country through port terminals,” said the businessman.

meanwhile, for Alfredo Saltos, former Minister of Agriculture of Ecuador and former director of the National Banana Program, Although the fungus has been contained in Colombia, it is still a threat to Ecuador, where there are around 220,000 hectares of the fruit.

"The issue of the pandemic helped a lot in Colombia but less in Ecuador, something in container disinfection, but we have to be thankful that it has not been reported," said Saltos, who knows that the private company is carrying out studies to look for resistance to the virus. fungus in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, in addition to China and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador these advances are being sought and they are also beginning to generate their own investigations.

Raúl Jaramillo, Director of Research at the National Institute for Agricultural Research (Iniap), indicated that as part of the development of resistant varieties, the Iniap Banana Program has presented a project to be financed by the Anatomical Energy Agency in Vienna; however, he clarified, it is an expensive project that will take at least eight years.

From studies of commercial cavendish varieties -the variety that is planted in Ecuador-, at the world level, until now there is the material called GCTCV-218, which is moderately tolerant and of which the Iniap is currently managing its evaluation in the country.

“We are in the process of signing an agreement with a foreign institution to evaluate resistant materials(banana shape). In addition, we are part of a regional alarm network to control outbreaks, Agrocalidad also participates in this activity, "said Jaramillo.

The Formosan or 218 variety is native to Taiwan and is already being used in the Philippines and Central American countries such as Honduras and Costa Rica, according to experts.

There is also a resistant cavendish developed in Australia, however it is transgenic and Ecuadorian laws do not allow the use of these crops, Jaramillo said. Meanwhile, the French Agricultural Research Center (CIRAD) and Brazil have experimental materials whose resistance is still being evaluated.

Until last November, this laboratory had an advance in its construction and adaptation close to 80%, its delivery was scheduled for December and it is expected that it will provide the service to the entire Caribbean region, according to what was indicated.José Francisco Zúñiga, executive president of the Association of Banana Growers of Magdalena and La Guajira (Asbama).