Synchronizing solutions to manage banana Fusarium wilt disease

Disease causes losses worth millions of US dollars

On the morning of May 29, a closing conference for the project “Emergency support to control and management of banana Fusarium wilt (Tropical Race 4 - TR4) in Viet Nam” was held with the participation of the Plant Production and Protection Department (PPPD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Viet Nam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) and the Viet Nam Gardening Association.

Mr. Nguyen Quy Duong, Deputy Director General of the Plant Production and Protection Department, said that banana Fusarium wilt caused by the Fusarium TR4 strain is currently one of the major threats to Viet Nam’s banana production. This dangerous plant disease has already appeared in many major banana-producing countries such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia, with the total affected area worldwide estimated at around 100,000 hectares.

According to international studies, if not effectively controlled, Fusarium TR4 disease could cause severe losses to the global banana industry over the coming decades. In Viet Nam, the disease has already appeared in many key production areas and is currently estimated to reduce banana output by 0.5-2% annually, equivalent to losses of USD 1.4-5.5 million each year.

In response to the situation, on September 7, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment approved the project document funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The project has been implemented since September 2025 with multiple objectives, including identifying the distribution and severity of the disease, searching for disease-resistant varieties, strengthening diagnostic capacity and developing sustainable management procedures.

The project has conducted disease surveys and monitoring activities across 16 provinces and cities, spanning the Red River Delta, the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region, the Southeast and the Mekong Delta. Results showed that several localities recorded high rates of TR4-positive samples, including Ha Noi, Hung Yen, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Lao Cai and Phu Tho.

Through PCR analysis of 323 disease samples, the research team successfully completed a diagnostic protocol, thereby improving early detection and better controlling disease sources.

One of the project’s notable achievements was the identification of six banana varieties with strong resistance to Fusarium wilt from among 68 Cavendish banana samples evaluated. Among them, the Uni126 and GL3-5-6 varieties showed particularly promising results. This provides an important basis for future development of banana varieties adapted to disease pressure.

Applying integrated solutions

In addition to varietal solutions, the project also initially selected several antagonistic microorganisms capable of suppressing Fusarium TR4, including strains from the Trichoderma, Bacillus and Streptomyces groups.

Several microbial combinations demonstrated relatively high disease control effectiveness under experimental conditions, opening the door to biological management approaches that could gradually replace chemical measures, which are generally ineffective against soil-borne diseases such as TR4.

According to studies presented at the conference, combining multiple microbial strains often provides better disease control effectiveness than using a single strain alone.

Associate Professor Dr. Ha Viet Cuong also emphasized that quarantine measures and measures to prevent the spread of disease sources are critically important. Many countries such as Australia, Colombia and India have implemented strict measures including destroying all infected plants, treating contaminated soil, establishing quarantine zones and tightly controlling the transport of planting materials in order to limit the spread of Fusarium TR4.

According to him, Viet Nam needs to soon establish an integrated monitoring, warning and management system to protect commercial banana-growing areas from the spread of Fusarium TR4 wilt disease.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Head of the International Cooperation Board under the Viet Nam Gardening Association, stressed that Fusarium TR4 disease is extremely difficult to control because the pathogen not only survives in soil but also spreads through various pathways.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, no single solution alone can effectively control the disease. Instead, it is necessary to apply integrated management measures simultaneously, including the use of disease-free planting materials, early detection, destruction of infected plants and strict implementation of biosecurity requirements in banana-growing areas.

Dr. Thuy added that management agencies should consolidate existing research findings to develop an integrated management package for Fusarium TR4 disease, while also establishing a monitoring and information-sharing network involving regulators, scientists, businesses and farmers.

At the conclusion of the conference, experts and representatives of management agencies agreed on recommendations to further strengthen communication and plant quarantine measures, promote the use of disease-resistant varieties and closely monitor areas where Fusarium TR4 has not yet appeared in order to minimize the risk of large-scale outbreaks in commercial banana-growing regions.