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Black leaf streak disease (BLSD) is the major constraint on banana production around the world. In Côte d'Ivoire, this disease is found in all banana-growing areas and its management involves the use of large volumes of agrochemicals. This mode of production is increasingly denounced by consumers from regarding fruit contamination by phytopharmaceuticals. The objective of this study is to promote the use of NECO 50 EC, a plant extract-based biofungicide in an integrated black Sigatoka management system. The fungitoxic effect of NECO 50 EC was assessed in vitro on Mycosphaerella fijiensis conidia germination and the evolution of black leaf streak disease symptoms under natural infestation. NECO 50 EC was applied over a surface area of 25 ha at a rate of 0.3 l/ha. Its weekly effect on the evolution of the rank of the youngest leaf affected (YLA), the rank of the youngest necrotic leaf (YLN), the number of functional leaves at flowering (NFLF) and the number of functional leaves at harvest (NFLH) was determined and then compared to those of a morpholine (Volley 88 OL) applied over a surface area of 25 ha at a dose of 0.5 l/ha. NECO 50 EC showed an anti-germinating effect on Mycosphaerella fijiensis conidia at low doses, useful in reducing disease spreading. Its application in banana tree plantations reduced disease pressure on the plots. It ensured the protection of new leaves generated (YLA > 4), favored ranks of YLN greater than 9. More than 14 leaves were counted at flowering and more than 7 leaves at harvest were observed. NECO 50 EC, a plant extract-based biological fungicide, may be an effective alternative for black leaf streak disease control in industrial banana tree plantations.

Soil deterioration, yield decline and soil microbial activity reduction caused by banana (Musa × paradisiaca L.) monoculture is threatening the sustainability of banana production in China. Therefore, it is necessary to study the benefits of rotation on soil quality. This study aimed to assess the effects of rotation and tillage on soil properties in a banana plantation for 25 yr. Treatments consisted of three rotation methods (banana-pineapple, BA; banana-cowpea, BP; banana-rice, BR) and banana monoculture (CK) combined with two tillage intensities (no-tillage, NT; conventional tillage, CT). Soil samples were taken at depth of 0-40 cm in 2019-2020. In comparison with CK, BA and BR increased soil moisture, pH, total organic C and available P, but decreased soil bulk density. Microbial biomass C and N at booting stage were 46.1% and 39.2% higher in BA and BR than those in CK. Urease, dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase obtained a mean of 34.1% increase in BP and 23.8% increase in BR compared with BA. Higher total N, NO3-N, available K and macro aggregate were showed in NT compared with CT, whereas porosity was 24.8% lower in NT than in CT. CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions were in average around between one third and two fifth lower in no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. In general, rotations combined with no-tillage led to a positive effect on soil quality, as evidenced by increase of soil moisture, total N, microbial biomass C and urease and accompanying increase in banana yield. In order to sustain higher productivity, application of rotation and no-tillage is of considerable importance.

Food systems analysis is increasingly being applied to understand relations between production, distribution, and consumption of food products, the drivers that influence the system, and the outcomes that show how well the food system performs on health and nutrition, on environmental sustainability, and on income and inclusiveness. Little attention has gone to the position of global export commodities, where production and consumption are far apart. Banana in Costa Rica and cocoa in Cote d’Ivoire were the subject of this study to find out what major drivers determine the functioning of these systems. Next to identifying drivers such as population growth and increased plant disease pressure, it was found that the typical far-away setting and different living conditions between producer and consumer countries required a special eye on governance as a tripartite arena (government, private sector, civil society) with their power relations, and on certification schemes as a driver that follows from corporate social responsibility. The certification schemes addressed cover all food system outcomes, although health and nutrition in a less conspicuous way. The descriptions of the functioning of the schemes were also linked to living wages and incomes for banana plantation workers in Costa Rica and cocoa smallholder farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. Although very meaningful, certification schemes so far do not prove to be a silver bullet, but they do have the potential, in combination with other measures, to help positive food system transformations.

Banana is a horticulture crop that has economic value and is widely cultivated in tropical countries. Banana production in Bengkulu province reached 259,748 quintals, then durian (110,387 quintals), tangerines (94,396 quintals) (BPS 2015). Banana bunchy top disease caused by Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) infection is considered the most crucial virus disease affecting yield losses of a banana plantation in Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. However, the incidence and molecular characters of BBTV has never been reported in Bengkulu. This research aims to characterize symptom variations, disease incidence, and disease severity of BBTV infection in Bengkulu and virus detection using molecular methods by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Disease incidence of BBTV was measured based on field symptoms. The disease survey was conducted in Bengkulu city, Bengkulu Utara district, and Rejang Lebong district. The study showed that the incidence of BBTV in Bengkulu City, Bengkulu Utara, and Rejang Lebong ranged from 0% to 100%. The most common symptoms observed in the field involved vein clearing, upturned leaf, chlorotic, and ragged margins, reducing petiole length, distance, lamina width, and stunting. Banana crops that are infected with BBTV in the vegetative phase will not produce fruit. In contrast, viral infection in the generative phase causes the formation of stunted fruit that is not suitable for harvesting. Thus, the potential loss of yield due to stunted disease can reach 100%. This study's results are the first reports of BBTV infection in banana crops in Bengkulu. Disease diagnosis will form the basis of disease control strategies in banana crops.

This article studies The Big Banana, a film by Cameroonian director Franck Bieleu, which shows how the intrusion of a cash crop such as bananas in a local environment brings about several ecological transformations with important sociocultural and ethical ramifications. Using concepts from ecocriticism to analyse the narrative structures of the film, the article explains how the Njombé Penja banana plantation (PHP), construed as a replica of the colonial model of production and spatial organization, leaves the local populations with a strong feeling of dispossession and alienation. It concludes that geographical and ecological forms of imperialism contributed, alongside sociopolitical issues, to the failure of the post-independence African utopia.

Discotrachytes vanharteni sp. nov. is discovered and described based on females, males and deutonymphs collected in a banana plantation in Yemen. The new species differs from its congeners in the shape of the genital shield and the sternal setae of the females. A diagnosis of the genus Discotrachytes Berlese is presented with a list of the known species. Ten Uropoda species are moved to the genus Discotrachytes: D. ehimensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) comb. nov.; D. granata (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) comb. nov.; D. grandis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) comb. nov.; D. granosa (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) comb. nov.; D. orbis (Vitzthum, 1925) comb. nov.; D. ornata (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) comb. nov.; D. procera (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) comb. nov.; D. procerasimilis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) comb. nov.; D. regia (Vitzthum, 1921) comb. nov.; D. regiasimilis (Hirschmann, 1972); and D. verrucosa (Hiramatsu, 1980) comb. nov. A new key to the known Discotrachytes species is also presented.

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of different land-use types on soil quality indices. Surface soils were collected at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depth respectively from three land-use types: Cassava field, Oil palm, and Banana plantation. Samples were subjected to physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses using standard methods, and the result were subjected to descriptive statics. The extent of change in soil quality was assessed using soil quality indices as an index for soil fertility management. The result showed that oil palm plantation was highest in soil quality evaluated as compared to Banana and Cassava field. The fertility differences observed across the land use types were due to inherent soil properties such that farming practices that ensure accumulation of organic matter need to be encouraged in order to improve soil productivity. It is recommended that soil fertility management should be site-specific to enhance optimum yield and productivity.

Approximately 140 snake species are known to occur in the Atlantic Forest with nearly half being endemic to this ecoregion. However, the Atlantic forest is one of the most threatened tropical ecoregions, with only 16% of its original area remaining as forest. This extensive habitat loss must have had a negative effect on its snake fauna. Indeed, 53% of the threatened snakes of Brazil occur in the Atlantic forest. Therefore, basic natural history information that can potentially contribute to the conservation of Atlantic forest snakes are urgently needed. Here the natural history of a snake assemblage at Etá Farm region, Sete Barras municipality, south-eastern Brazil is described, and a visual guide and an identification key provided that can be used by researchers and local people to identify snakes from this region. Most of the species found in the field use both open areas and forests, are primarily terrestrial, present diurnal activity, and include frogs in their diet. A higher number of enlarged follicles, eggs, and/or embryos were recorded during the warm and rainy season. Seventeen different types of defensive tactics were recorded in the species found in the field. This study provides useful information for understanding the structure of snake assemblages of the Atlantic Forest and is potentially useful for conservation assessments and for designing conservation plans.

The efficiency of Tithonia diversifolia on managing burrowing ( Radopholus similis) and root-lesion ( Pratylenchus coffeae ) nematodes was examined under greenhouse and banana plantation conditions. During the greenhouse experiment, which lasted 16 weeks, 300 nematodes (150 R. similis + 150 P. coffeae ) were inoculated in pots containing two-month-old burst young plants. Eighty pots were monitored and then removed at the rate of 5 pots per week so as to assess nematode development in T. diversifolia roots. The presence rates observed in situ with respect to the initial nematode inoculum were 25%, 20%, and less than 5% individuals, respectively, at 2; 6 and 7 weeks after inoculation. From 10 weeks until the end of the experiment, no presence (0 individual) could be observed in situ . In banana plantations; 1820 T. diversifolia / ha were transplanted at a rate of one cutting/banana corm. This fallow system, carried out in banana intercropping for six months, led to a thick canopy developed by T. diversifolia above ground with a significant production of root biomass in the soil despite the vicinity to infested banana corms. Monitoring of nematode infestations has highlighted a close relationship between the duration (X) of the fallow and the reduction in parasite pressure (Y). The regression curve Y = 102.9X -3.37 fits this relationship with R 2 = 0.82. Nematode-free vitro plants implanted in the soil, 90% improved by fallow, made it possible to carry out two production cycles of bananas without nematicide application. The opportunity to involve T. diversifolia in the agrosystem for the production of “organic banana” as an alternative to the use of nematicide was discussed.

The detection of banana fruits is an important part of intelligent management in the banana plantation. To detect the banana fruit quickly and accurately in the complex orchard environment, this article proposes a method based on the latest deep learning algorithm to detect the banana fruit. Using a monocular camera, we applied the YOLOv4 neural network algorithm to extract the deep features of banana fruits, realizing accurate detection of different banana sizes. The detection algorithm achieved a 99.29% detection rate, the average execution time was 0.171s, the shortest execution time was 0.135s, and the AP was 0.9995. Moreover, the detection results were discussed with the YOLOv3 algorithm and the machine learning algorithm. Compared with the machine learning algorithm, deep learning algorithm was superior to both detection accuracy and detection time. YOLOv4 had higher detection confidence and higher detection rate than YOLOv3. The results show that the proposed method could realize the fast detection of different varieties and different maturity in banana plantations, under different illumination and occlusion conditions, and provide information for banana picking, maturity and yield estimation.

Ecuador es el primer exportador de banano del mundo con más de 317 millones de cajas por año, lo que aporta el 26 % del PIB agrícola y genera alrededor de 2.5 millones de empleos directos e indirectos. Ecuador produce 19 000 ha y exporta 36 000 t de banano orgánico. Respecto a las pérdidas poscosecha, estas fluctúan entre el 10 y 80 % y son causadas por un inadecuado manejo tanto de la poscosecha como en lo agronómico. Este estudio tiene el objetivo de determinar la calidad física y química de la fruta orgánica y cuantificar las pérdidas poscosecha. La investigación se llevó a cabo en una plantación de banano orgánico ubicada en la provincia de Los Ríos (Ecuador). Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completamente al azar (DBCA) en arreglo factorial 7 x 2. Los factores fueron las épocas de cosecha (febrero-agosto), y la calidad de la fruta de exportación (primera y segunda) con 3 repeticiones. Las variables estudiadas se determinaron con base en 20 racimos. De los resultados obtenidos, se deduce que la calidad física y química del fruto está influenciada por la época de cosecha, ya que los racimos crecieron y desarrollaron en diferentes condiciones ambientales. En general, el 82 % de la producción se destina para la exportación, debido a que cumple los estándares de calidad.

International audience; Chlordecone, an organochlorine insecticide, was widely used in the French West Indies banana plantations. We set up a cohort of banana plantation workers who worked between 1973 and 1993, the period of authorized use of chlordecone. Vital status and causes of death were collected from French national registries. Workers were followed up from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2015. Cause-specific mortality in the cohort was compared to that of the general population of the French West Indies by computing standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). A total of 11,112 workers (149,526 person-years, 77% men) were included in the mortality analysis, and 3647 deaths occurred over the study period. There was a slight deficit in all-cause mortality, which was statistically significant in men (SMR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.96), but not in women (SMR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.89-1.04). All-cancer mortality did not differ significantly from that of the general population (men SMR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.90-1.03; women SMR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.89-1.21). Significant excesses of deaths were observed for stomach cancer in women (SMR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.24-2.89) and pancreatic cancer in women farm owners (SMR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.06-4.39). Mortality from prostate cancer was similar to that of the general population in the whole cohort (SMR = 1.00; 95% CI 0.89-1.13) and non-significantly elevated among farm workers (SMR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.87-1.36). Non-significant increases in mortality were also observed for lung cancer in women, leukemia in men, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in both genders.

Resumo O objetivo foi avaliar a influência de variáveis ambientais sobre a fauna de formigas em um fragmento de floresta nativa e em áreas cultivadas. Os dados foram coletados no município de Seropédica - RJ, nas estações chuvosa e seca, em um cultivo de bananas (Musa pariadisiaca L.), uma agrofloresta, um cafezal (Coffea conephora Pierre) sombreado com Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) e um fragmento de floresta (8 ha) em estágio intermediário de sucessão secundária. Para a amostragem, foram utilizadas armadilhas de queda tipo pitfall e extratores de Winkler. Foram coletadas 53 espécies de formigas, ocorrendo maior riqueza de espécies na agrofloresta (38 espécies), seguida do cafezal (31 espécies), floresta secundária (29 espécies) e plantação de bananeiras (28 espécies). Na estação seca houve o efeito do tipo de uso do solo e da profundidade de serapilheira sobre a riqueza e diversidade de espécies de formigas. Nas duas estações, a composição de espécies de formigas variou significativamente entre todas as áreas estudadas. Os sistemas agroflorestais funcionam como alternativa às monoculturas pela diversidade de espécies cultivadas e estratos vegetais que apresentam. Neste sentido, o aumento da heterogeneidade estrutural do ambiente e da profundidade de serapilheira, em áreas cultivadas na estação seca, proporciona maior riqueza e diversidade de espécies de formigas, além de mudanças na composição de espécies. Abstract The objective was to evaluate the influence of environmental variables on the ant fauna, in cultivated areas and in a native forest fragment. The data were collected in the municipality of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro state, in the rainy and dry seasons, in a banana plantation (Musa pariadisiaca L.), an agroforest, a coffee plantation (Coffea conephora Pierre) shaded with Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) and a forest fragment (8 ha) in the intermediate stage of secondary succession. For the sampling, soil pitfall traps and the Winkler extractor were used. A total of 53 species were collected in the present study. The highest species richness was observed in the agroforestry (38 species), followed by shaded coffee (31 species), secondary forest (29 species) and banana plantation (28 species). In the dry season there was effect of land use type and leaf litter depth on the richness and diversity of ant species. In both seasons, ant species composition varied significantly among all the studied areas. The agroforestry systems are important alternatives to monocultures due to their diversity of cultivated species and plant strata. Thus, the increase of the structural heterogeneity of the environment and the leaf litter depth, in cultivated areas in the dry season, may lead to greater species richness and diversity as well as changes in the species composition.

Technology sets a new record as people discover novel ideas of the application of technology. Some of these innovations paved the way for solutions to problems in various fields, especially in agriculture. The identified problem is that plant pathologists use different applications such as Google Earth and Microsoft Excel in managing the data given by the growers that will lead to disorganization of location data. Moreover, handling a large amount of data with the GPS coordinates as the only identifier on the map can be tedious and consume significant effort when retrieving the specific data or information needed. To address the issues, a plant pathologists' geotagging and monitoring system for the infected banana plant was designed and developed to remedy the problem of the plant pathologist's recording, tracking the sample with diseases in the vast hectares of banana plantations. It is called GETMOSYS. The GETMOSYS application has two parts: a website specially created to be used by the Pathologist and the mobile app designed to be used by the growers for their grower representatives. The predictive prototyping model was used as the system development method in developing and implementing the software. Black box testing was used for the software testing functionality of the website and mobile application. One plant pathologist and 24 personnel of a banana plantation evaluated the system usability using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). The system shows excellent results in Attractiveness, Perspicuity, Efficiency.

Para o cultivo de banana utilizam-se alguns agentes químicos para combater determinadas pragas, uma destas é a Sigatoka, causada pelo fungo Mycosphaerella Musicola. Ela ataca as folhas das bananeiras, diminuindo drasticamente a produtividade da fruta. Para eliminação desta praga, realiza-se pulverizações de agentes químicos, a quantidade destas variam de acordo com diversos fatores. Para realizar a pulverização utiliza-se o atomizador de ar, tipo canhão bananeiro, objeto de estudo deste trabalho. Este atomizador possui uma turbina radial, que impulsiona ar para um direcionador giratório de 4 a 6m de altura, para fazer o lançamento dos agentes químicos necessários no bananal. Existem diferentes combinações disponíveis de turbinas e ventiladores para este equipamento e o objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar através de análises computacionais combinatórias, as diferentes combinações indicando o melhor conjunto, para aprimorar a trajetória e temperatura de saída do fluído melhorando a eficiência da pulverização, aumentando a produtividade com menor número de pulverizações e consequentemente reduzindo o impacto ao meio ambiente. O trabalho foi desenvolvido através de uma pesquisa exploratória em campo, também conhecida como “pesquisa de base”. Nos resultados pode-se observar que dentre as condições analisadas de trajetória, temperatura e pressão, que o melhor conjunto de turbina e ventilador, que oferece os melhores resultados é a turbina com saída de ar central e ventilador de pás retas, com diferença de temperatura de 1,7°C menor, para as temperaturas coletadas em campo e 0,36°C menor, para as temperaturas das análises computacionais.

The dynamics of floristic and fitossociology composition in the restoration process were studied on areas within the Rio Turvo State Park, in Cajati, State of Sao Paulo (77°89ʹ42ʺ N and 72°49ʹ22ʺ W), in a restoration area over three years, on an abandoned banana plantation (Rest 3) and in a restoration area over five years, on a degraded area of grazing land (Rest 5). In each area, six plots were installed (100 m2 each). We analysed the diameter and height of all individuals over 50 cm of height and we collected soil samples for fertility analysis (0 - 20 cm depth). The structure of the community was described based on phytosociological estimators (relative density, relative dominance, importance value). Diversity was calculated using Shannon’s diversity index, and evenness by Pielou’s index. There were 2,117 ind ha-1 (18 families and 39 species) in Rest 5 and 4,650 ind ha-1 (21 families and 54 species) in Rest 3. The phytosociological parameters reflect areas in the initial stages of secondary succession, where previous use as a banana plantation incurred in the composition of a more favorable environment for the development of planted species and establishment of propagules.

Background: Soil Fungi play a vital role in maintaining the soil health. Such Microbial communities offer stability and greater yield in agro-ecosystems. The current study was aimed to evaluate the diversity of rhizospheric fungi present in the Banana plantation site and estimate the values of the selected physico-chemical parameters of the soil.Methods: Soil samples were collected from the two selected sites i.e. Site MK and Site ZB, from Nagaland State, India During the month of October 2019. Soil temperatures, pH, Moisture, organic carbon and Available Nitrogen were measured by standard protocols. Fungi were isolated in Potato dextrose agar and Rose agar plates following serial dilution method. Plates were incubated at 25±1°C for 5-7 days. Fungal colonies were observed and transferred to appropriate identification media and identified with the help of literature.Result: A total of 19 different fungal isolates were recorded from the two sites. It was observed that the Genus Aspergillus was dominant in both the sites.

The old paradigm of horizontal expansion of agricultural land and built-up areas over highland and lowland ecosystems remains highly prevalent in Cameroon, causing significant changes in LULC and undermining the resilience and sustainability of social-ecological systems. We analysed satellite imagery of 1986 and 2018 to examine the extent and spatial patterns of LULCC in Fako sub-region of Cameroon. In addition, we explored the likelihood of LULCC and magnitude of impact of the drivers and predictors of LULCC in the sub-region by engaging 25 stakeholders in a focus group survey. Other cultivated areas of cropland, built-up, oil palm, and banana plantation covers increased by 21,360 ha (10.5%), 3152 ha (1.6%), 5721 ha (2.8%), and 1823 ha (0.9%), while dense forest, rubber and tea plantation covers decreased by − 44,945 ha (− 22.1%), − 15,557 ha (− 7.7%), and − 110 ha (− 0.1%), respectively, from 1986 to 2018. Most of the deforestation and LULCC was caused by expansion of other cultivated areas of cropland by smallholders, contrary to the widely publicised narrative of agro-industrial and built-up areas expansion. The spatial pattern of LULCC showed that expansion of other cultivated areas of cropland and agro-industrial plantations were highest in the north and east zones, respectively, while expansion of built-up areas and decrease in agro-industrial plantation covers were highest in the central, south and western coastal zones of Fako division. The variations in the spatial patterns of LULCC between the sub-divisions are attributed to differences in rates of population growth and urbanisation, topography, size of farming population, proportion of cultivable land, socio-economic opportunities, and strength and resilience of local economy. The presence of the Mount Cameroon (4095 m), with high value forests, endemism, and conservation attractiveness restricted increased LULCC with elevation, while LULCC increased with nearness to the sea and national road networks. The likelihood of change from one LULC to oil palm plantation, banana plantation, and other cultivated areas and from rubber plantation, dense forest, lowland grassland to other land uses was 95% and 90%, respectively. Population growth, agricultural and farmland expansion, and infrastructural development were ranked as the three most important drivers of degradation under the business as usual scenario, while sustainable land management, good governance, and reforestation were ranked as the three most important predictors of LULCC reduction under the green economy scenario. In general, production and living space functions significantly increased at the expense of ecological land cover. Prioritising and increasing the legal protection of the mountain and coastal land-boundary ecosystems while providing for production and living land are invaluable for the sustainability of the social-ecological systems in the western highlands of Cameroon.

Banana leaf disease classification requires the application of machine learning and image processing on the images obtained from the field. A lot of diseases like banana black sigakota (BBS), banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), and banana bacterial wilt (BBW) have been reported on banana plantation. In this paper, the merits of both Gabor filter and 2D log Gabor filter have been used to construct an enhanced Gabor filter, which extracts features from the images of diseased plant. Further, KNN classifier is used in the classification of diseases. Classification results with diseased datasets show that the proposed method achieves better when compared to SIFT and SURF feature descriptors.