Ishwardi farmers distraught as ‘panama disease’ attacks banana trees

PABNA, Mar 04: Widespread attack of `panama disease' on the banana trees has shuttered dreams of the farmers in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district in the current season.

Sources said banana trees on several hundred hectares of land in the upazila have been affected by the viral disease.

The farmers are upset as several thousand banana trees died before their eyes for the disease causing heavy losses to them.

According to the Ishwardi upazila agriculture office, 1,840 hectares of land have been brought under banana farming in the upazila this season.

Of the total, banana trees have been planted on 1,800 hectares of land in Laxmikunda union alone.

After receiving windfall profit from banana plantations in recent years, farmers in Kamalpur, Dadapur, Kaikunda, Charkurulia and Shantinagar villages of the union have opted for banana cultivation instead of other crops.

During a recent visit, farmers in Dadapur village and Laxmikunda union said an unknown virus has attacked their banana plants.

The virus first attacks the old leaves of the banana trees and gradually reaches the top and attacks the young leaves. It causes the banana leaves to turn brown and shrivel.

A few days later, the leaves fall off. Stems of banana trees start having

a kind of yellow or red spot. Later the trees start rotting from the bottom to the top

and at one stage die.

The farmers said banana plantations of some of them were completely destroyed and some had 60 to 70 per cent of their banana plants killed or damaged by the virus.

They are cutting down virus-infected banana trees and keeping them in piles.

The farmers lamented that even after repeatedly informing the agriculture department officials, they did not come to their help even for a single time.

Brushing aside the allegation, the agriculture officials said they have advised the farmers as many times as possible.

They also said that after cutting trees, it can be seen that the inner white part has turned black.

Also, black spots in the upper part of a banana infected with the virus make the banana malnourished and tasteless.

If the banana plantations are not protected from the virus, hundreds of farmers will be forced to stop banana cultivation to avoid losses, said the officials.

According to the officials, five to six years ago, banana cultivation started in the inaccessible char area of Laxmikunda union of the upazila on the banks of the Padma River.

As the farmers made huge profits in the first year, banana plantations were gradually expanded.

Banana cultivation in char lands has changed the rural economy here. Several hundred people have become financially self-reliant through banana production.

Mostly Mehersagar, Amritsagar and Mandira varieties of banana are cultivated in the upazila. Tk 350 to Tk 400 is needed to plant banana trees per bigha of land.

Bhutta Pramanik, a farmer of Dadapur village, said, "I have been cultivating banana for 11 years in Dada Char area. I cultivated banana on 52 bighas of land this year. Every year I get good profit by cultivating banana. But this time due to the virus we have faced huge losses as banana plants died in a large number." Also, surge in price of fertilisers and pesticides has increased the losses. From 2023, the virus started attacking banana plantations, he said, adding this time 70 per cent banana plantations have been attacked by the virus.

If the upazila agriculture office had come to the farmers' help to prevent the virus, huge losses could have been avoided, said Mr Pramanik.

Dulal Biswas, a banana grower of the same village, said, "I have cultivated banana on ten bighas of land. Now every banana plant is dying due to virus attack. It is very sad to see the carefully planted banana trees are dying in front of our eyes."

Sujan Biswas, another farmer of the same village, said that even after informing the agriculture officials, they did not come to their fields to give any effective solution.

Saiful and Israel Janan, two brothers of Dadapur village, said that most of the banana trees in their garden have burst due to viral attack. So, they are being forced to cut these trees. The two brothers planted banana on 35 bighas of land. About 70 per cent of the banana plants have been destroyed by the virus.

According to Ishwardi Agriculture Department, diseased banana trees should be burnt.

After two or three years, banana cultivation should be stopped there and other crops should be grown on that land.

Also, increasing soil organic matter by applying lime can keep banana plants free from panama disease.

Shamima Khatun, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Laxmikunda union, said, "I have advised the farmers to cut and burn the leaves of virus-infected banana trees and spray them with fungicides."

Dr Jamal Uddin, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Pabna, told The Financial Express that banana trees infected with panama disease should be either uprooted or burnt. Because if infected trees are piled up, germs will spread more.

He advised farmers to plant good and clean banana trees to avoid virus attack.

Dr Md Shamsur Rahman, chief scientific officer and chief of the Department of Pathology of Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI), located in Ishwardi, told The Financial Express that 'panama disease' (Fusarium wilt) is a plant disease that infects banana plants.

He said, "It is a disease caused by the fungus Fusarium Oxysporum. It is one of the most serious threats facing the global banana industry, for which there is no remedy and no resistant banana varieties have yet been developed."

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