Surgery or surgical defolation in ‘Grand Naine’ banana in the control of black Sigatoka in the state of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract ‘Grande Naine’ banana (Musa acuminata - AAA) in the municipality of Angra dos Reis (RJ) has been affected by the Black Sigatoka agent, fijiensis Mycosphaerella(current name Pseudocercospora fijiensis); causing losses to local producers, mostly small producers and low-income producers. Since Black Sigatoka was reported in the mentioned municipality, it was aimed to determine control efficiency through surgical measurement or surgical defoliation and to evaluate its effect on banana productivity characteristics. For this purpose, treatment was designed in the form of completely randomized blocks containing three blocks, each block with five plants with treatment (Surgery) and five plants without treatment (Control), in a total of 30 plants with fungal infection. Treatments were performed every 15 days with monthly severity assessments (Weighted Mean of Infection - MPI) by the method of Stover modified by Gauhl. The results obtained at the end of the trial showed significant differences in all variables (Severity, youngest leaf spotted, bunch weight and fruit size), and treatment with surgery provided reduction in severity (MPI) around 58%, thus confirming that plants received adequate treatment according to the results obtained for this methodology, and, contributing to the increase of the healthy leaf area in the youngest leaves, whereas in plants without surgery (Control), severity increased by 14.8% in comparison to the initial MPI evaluation, consequently having a smaller healthy leaf area for the accomplishment of photosynthesis and other physiological processes. In production variables bunch weight, fruit size and number of fruits, differences were significant (Pr> F = 0.0001), reaching an increase in yield of up to 300% when compared to Control. It is therefore an effective method for the control of phytopathogen black sigatoka unpublished in the state of Rio de Janeiro and that will bring direct benefits for Family Agriculture in the region of incidence of this banana disease.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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