Growing cavendish bananas without chemical control of black leaf streak disease

With growing concerns about environmental preservation, alternatives to chemical control for black leaf streak disease are an important challenge. Agronomical practices allow reducing disease development, and its impact on fruit production (fruit weight and green life duration). Two hectares of Cavendish banana were grown in the dry climatic conditions of Dominican Republic, without any chemical application during two years. In spite of very low leaf surface at harvest time, green life of the fruit proved to be over 35 days, over than the acceptable duration for exported fruit. Impact on fruit weight was limited but needs to be confirmed by further experiments, in climatic situations more favorable to disease development.