Banana silvering thrips (Hercinothrips bicinctus) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Banana-silvering thrips are small (1.5 mm long), slender, brown insects with pale yellow hind wings that appear as a yellow line down the back of the body when the insect is at rest. Adult thrips have characteristic wings; the transparent wings have a fringe of hairs around the […]
Author Archives: sukahumbu
Banana weevil borer
Banana weevil borer (Cosmopolites sordidus) Credit: Biovision-Infonet The banana weevil is the most important insect pest of banana. It is about 1-1.5 cm long. The larva (grub) is most destructive: It bores irregular tunnels in the rhizome/corm and pseudostems at ground level. A large proportion of the tissue is destroyed, this reduces the amount of water […]
Burrowing nematode
Burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis) Credit: Biovision-Infonet The burrowing nematode is the most destructive nematode species attacking bananas. Dark patches or spots on the roots indicate nematode infestation. Severely infected plants may show only stubs of rotted roots and may fall down when the bunch has formed. Bananas are also attacked by other nematode species such […]
Banana Production
Banana Production Credit: Biovision-Infonet 1. Geographical Distribution in Africa Bananas are perennial tropical plants whose fruits are used for cooking (plantains) and as table fruits. They may also be processed into starch, chips, puree, beer (in Africa), vinegar, or be dehydrated and sold as dried fruit. Flour is produced from both plantains and table bananas, […]
CH 3. What is Agroforestry?
What is Agroforestry? Credit: Biovision-Infonet 1. Introduction Agroforestry is an old practice, consisting of growing perennial trees and shrubs in association with agricultural crops, pastures and/or keeping livestock in the same field. Agroforestry aims to use agro-biodiversity in generating multiple services. Trees and shrubs provide mulching material, green manure, animal fodder, soil erosion control, shade, nutrient cycling […]
Fruit flies
Credit: Biovision-Infonet 1. Geographical Distribution in Africa Geographical Distribution of the Fruit fly in Africa (red marked), updated on 10 July 2019, Source CABI. Fruit flies (diverse species) have been recorded in all African countries. The Mediterranean fruit fly is the most widely distributed. General Information on Pest and Damage Fruit flies cause direct damage by […]
Resource Links
Credit: Biovision-Infonet Information Source Links AIC, Ministry of Agriculture, Nairobi Kenya (2003). Fruits and Vegetables Technical Handbook CAB International 2000 and 2005. Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK. www.cabi.org Griesbach, J. (1992). A guide to propagation and cultivation of fruit trees in Kenya. Schriftreihe der GTZ, No. 230. Eschborn, Germany. ISBN: 3-88085-482-3. Griesbach, J. (2003). Mango Growing in Kenya. World Agroforestry Centre […]
Stem-end rot
Stem-end rot (Dothiorella dominicana, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Phomopsis mangiferae) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Symptoms consist of a dark-brown, firm decay starting at the stem-end of the fruit and developing rapidly to involve the whole fruit. The fungi survive on dead twigs and branches where they produce large numbers of spores. During wet weather, these spores are spread to adjacent […]
Malformation
Malformation (Fusarium subglutinans) Credit: Biovision-Infonet The fungus produces compounds that have hormonal effect on the plant. The fungus is easily spread by grafting and infected nursery trees. In the orchard the disease spreads slowly despite of masses of spores produced on the panicles. Symptoms consist of affected flowers taking on, to a greater or lesser […]
Bacterial black spot
Bacterial black spot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Bacterial black spot is rain related and is spread through rain splash within an orchard. Long-distance spread is by infected planting material. Important factors in infection are very small wounds that are easily caused by wind and wet weather. On leaves, spots are angular, dark, shiny in appearance […]