The African consortium for Foc TR4: The good, the bad and the ugly

Transcription

1 The African consortium for Foc TR4: The good, the bad and the ugly Altus Viljoen Department of Plant Pathology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Department of Plant Pathology Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences

2 Contents Lessons from Asia Preparing Africa against Foc TR4 Discovering Foc TR4 in Mozambique Establishing AC4TR4 Scientists created global panic! Supporting Mozambique Growing awareness of Foc TR4 in Africa The future is uncertain Potential impact of Foc TR4 in Africa Finale In conclusion

3 1999: Malaysia: 2 nd Fusarium wilt of banana workshop Lessons from Asia 2000: Thailand: Global Banana Meeting, Bangkok 2004: Malaysia: 1st Global Banana Meeting and PROMUSA working group meetings. 2006: Malaysia: Fusarium wilt of banana workshop Philippines: Advisor to Philippine Banana Growers and Exporter Association 2008: China: Meeting of the National Forum of the Chinese Banana Industry Indonesia: End-of-project review of ACIAR project CP/2004/034, Solok 2009: China: ISHS/ProMusa meeting on Asian Challenges 2010: China: South African-China collaboration 2011: Philippines: Philippine Phytopathology meeting and research visit 2012: Thailand: International Banana Conference 2013: Renewal of SA-China collaboration 2014: Philippines: Sabbatical visit

4 Preparing Africa against Foc TR4

5 Testing African bananas against Foc TR4 VARIETY TYPE % PD Igitsiri (Intuntu) EAHB - AAA 3 Mbwazirumi EAHB- AAA 3 Ingagara EAHB- AAA 5 Inkira EAHB- AAA 4 Akpakpak Plantain AAB 1 Obubit Ntanga Plantain AAB 0 Enzirabahima EAHB- AAA 3 Kazirakwe EAHB- AAA 1 Ibwi EAHB- AAA 32 Williams EAHB- AAA 46 date: June 2010 Dear Dr Viljoen, GK was kind enough to share his correspondence on Foc TR4 he had exchanged with you. We appreciative your decision to cancel pathogenicity trials (in Stellenbosch) Gracias XX. We do plan to perform such tests here in Wageningen as I believe we're most equipped to do it, but we do this independently. GK

6 Discovering Foc TR4 in Mozambique

7 First report on Foc TR4 to Matanuska In summary, I would like to put the outbreak of banana Fusarium wilt at Metocheria Farms into perspective: 1. This is the first introduction of Foc TR4 into Africa, and will be of considerable concern to all involved in banana production throughout the continent. 2. The disease is spreading at an alarming pace throughout Farm 2. This farm will most likely be lost to further banana production within the next 3-5 years. 3. The movement of people, clay soils and the poor drainage of fields all provide significant opportunities for the disease to spread within and between farms. 4. There is a risk that Foc TR4 may spread to other Cavendish banana production areas in Mozambique and neighboring countries. 5. Resistant Cavendish selections are present in Asia, but these are neither immune nor adapted to all areas where Cavendish bananas are cultivated. 6. Matanuska will be blamed, rightly or wrongly, for any future outbreaks of the disease in Mozambique and on the African continent. 7. For the above reasons, it is of utmost importance that urgent and rigorous steps be taken to eradicate not only the affected, but all bananas grown on Farm 2 to prevent further inoculum increase and spread to non-infested areas.

8 Scientists create global panic! As you might have heard by now, Foc TR4 has been introduced into a Cavendish banana export plantation in Mozambique. - Nov 2013 Following the outbreak in Mozambique, The World Banana Forum established a TR4 Task Force in December 2013 in The Netherlands

9 Lies and deceit all for money Concept paper for publication in Nature: Banana Fusarium wilt goes wild Last week a large banana operation in Mozambique confirmed the presence of TR4 in Africa Proposed authors: Gert HJ Kema, Altus Viljoen and Miguel Dita - November 2013 Dear. Following our teleconference I have discussed and developed an intervention program to manage TR4 in Metocheria Farms - November 2013 Dear. NWO-WOTRO has an open call which provides an excellent opportunity for setting up a collaborative project. You may remember that we have developed the TR4 molecular diagnostic that is currently applied in many countries to conform TR4 incursions, including in Mozambique, or outsourced to Altus Viljoen. This call provides us with an opportunity to establish the technology, train personnel, perform wider monitoring schemes - March 2015

10 Establishing AC4TR4 Foc TR4 workshop in Stellenbosch, South Africa April 2014

11 AC4TR4 partners and collaborators Country Representatives Burundi DRC Kenya Malawi Mozambique Rwanda South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Growers/Grower Associations: Matanuska BGASA DuRoi Laboratories CGIAR Institutions: SADC FAO ASARECA COMESA BARNESA Universities: Stellenbosch University Eduardo Mondlane University Research Institutes: IITA Biodiversity International International partners: BAPNET members

12 Action plan for Foc TR4 in Africa Goal: To control the current disease outbreak of banana Fusarium wilt (Foc TR4) in Mozambique and to prepare other African countries that rely on banana for food security and income generation, against similar incursions. Objectives: 1. Arrest and contain the spread of Foc TR4 in Mozambique and surrounding countries 2. Strengthen the capacity of NARS to sustainably manage the disease in Africa 3. Institute mechanisms to coordinate and communicate AC4TR4 activities in Africa. 4. Carry out research to generate new information and technologies for sustainable management of Foc TR4

13 Stellenbosch declaration on Foc TR4 WE HEREBY JOINTLY AGREE TO 1. Fully develop and implement a continental strategy, under the direction of an African Foc TR4 Task Force, to contain Foc TR4 in Mozambique and to prevent similar incursions elsewhere in Africa. 2. Provide and enhance technical capacity on the continent, and to implement and monitor phytosanitary systems. 3. Report and map new outbreaks of Foc TR4 in African Member States and communicate information on new outbreaks, successful containment, and prevention initiatives. 4. Recognize that Foc TR4 is a continental issue that requires coordination and collaboration between NPPOs, RECs, ICPs, research institutions, universities, governments, and other relevant stakeholders throughout Africa. 5. Develop and apply appropriate diagnostic services, provide training, raise awareness, monitor disease spread, and screen banana germplasm for Foc TR4 resistance. 6. Call upon African and international organizations to recognize and support the activities of AC4TR4 by investing in research, awareness programs, human capacity, and infrastructure development on the continent. 7. Develop a regional Pest Risk Analysis document and set of phytosanitary measures, enforced by Member States, to prevent the spread of Foc TR4 and other quarantine pests of banana. 8. Encourage governments in Africa to formulate the necessary legislation to protect farm owners against foreign plant pests.

14 sun.ac.za/banana-fusarium-wilt-africa

15 Objectives of the FAO of the UN

16 Supporting Mozambique

17 Improved Foc TR4 management The new, improved strategy for Foc TR4 consists of two main components: 1. The management of Fusarium wilt on the farm where containment was no further possible Planting of resistant plants Proper destruction of infected plants Water management Soil management 2. The prevention of Foc TR4 to spread beyond farm borders Movement of planting materials Movement of soil (shoes, vehicles) Movement of water

18 Growing awareness in Africa SADC Plant Protection Technical Committee meeting. Gaborone, Botswana ACIAR - Root, Tuber and Banana meeting, Entebbe, Uganda BARNESA meeting, Entebbe, Uganda IPPC Near-East meeting, Cairo, Egypt USAID meeting on awareness. VIP Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique Banana Fusarium wilt Foc TR4 presentation, CIRAD, La Reunion The global status of banana Fusarium wilt. FAREI offices, Mauritius Foc TR4 in Africa. CABI/ACIAR workshop on Biosecurity. Arusha, Tanzania Southern Africa Phytosanitary Inspection Workshop. APHIS, Pretoria, SA Foc TR4 diagnostics and surveillance workshop. Stellenbosch (South Africa), Nampula (Mozambique), Kampala (Uganda), Arusha (Tanzania)

19 The future is uncertain

20 Potential impact of Foc TR4 in Africa Foc TR4 has a larger host range than races 1, 2 and subtropical race 4, East African Highland banana and plantains seems to be resistant but not immune to Foc TR4 Direct impact: Foc has destroyed +/- 1 million plants at Matanuska and plants at Jacaranda At plants affected/week, losses are estimated at US$ /week In Africa, million people depend on bananas Bananas make up 50% of permanent crops in ECA, valued at US$4.3 billion Indirect impact: Matanuska: US$ 1.5 million to local economy Consumer trust: negative impact on banana exports and related industries Companies provide education, health services A proper risk assessment is required

21 Spread of Foc TR4 into Africa Locations affected by Foc TR4 Countries affected by Foc TR4 Countries at high risk of Foc TR4 Countries at risk of Foc TR4

22 Policy document on Foc TR4

23 Finale More than 1 million banana plants had now been killed at Matanuska. Weekly losses exceed plants, with none of the plants being burned. Spores are deposited directly back into the soils, and are washed into the Monapo river from where they are spread into the region. As in Asia, no large donor has yet committed in helping Africa dealing with Foc TR4. These donors appear to be more concerned about the threat of Foc TR4 to Latin America than helping the African and Asian continents in dealing with the disease, thereby enabling food security.

24 In conclusion Asia has become the global leader in practical banana Fusarium wilt research. Coordination of regional efforts within BAPNET is exemplary. National efforts to report and deal with outbreaks should be respected by international scientists and organizations. What is happening with Foc TR4 in Pakistan following its first report by foreign scientists? Foc TR4 has become a business proposition for international research groups trying to exploit growing global concerns about the disease Foc TR4 will soon move beyond the borders of Matanuska and Jacaranda. The impact of Foc TR4 to bananas in Africa is unclear The ability of plant health authorities in Mozambique, and in several other African countries to deal with Foc TR4, is questionable. Africa and Asia needs to collaborate more closely on Foc TR4, and jointly approach donors for research support

25 Acknowledgements

26 Thank you!