Bayer has used its appearance at the sixth International Banana Congress, which is taking place from 19-22 April 19 in Miami, Florida, to showcase its portfolio of products and solutions that support the success and sustainability of the banana industry.
Experts from the company are presenting recent product innovations in the area of disease, pest control and root health management as well as novel approaches that contribute to safeguarding a high-quality fruit supply.
Bayer’s strategic approach is based on delivering integrated solutions for the banana industry that create superior value, the group says.
“Fungal diseases and nematodes are giving banana growers around the globe a hard time. We are committed to supporting them in addressing their daily challenges as they strive to get the very best out of their plantations,” said Kai Wirtz, global fruit crop manager at the crop science division of Bayer. “Bayer is one of the leading providers of innovative chemical and biological crop protection solutions for bananas. Additionally, we offer a number of complementary services and provide expertise and on-farm advice through our dedicated crop specialists. These experts have a deep understanding of the grower’s needs and develop tailored solutions according to the local conditions.”
A key focus of Bayer’s banana experts is on developing holistic solutions for root health management, as this is a growing concern of producers. Scientists at Bayer are addressing this new area of research to better understand the complex processes in the soil and develop new solutions to effectively control nematodes, soil-borne pathogens and soil pests and strengthen the roots.
Another threat for banana producers is Black Sigatoka, the most devastating disease in bananas and present in all banana-producing countries. Without proper treatment it can lead to reduced productivity of up to 50 per cent and increase the risk of fungicide resistance.
As a result, the number of fungicide applications have increased in recent years with strong economic, environmental and social impacts – threatening the sustainability of banana production.
With its ‘Bunch of Solutions’ concept Bayer has developed an approach to ensure high-level disease control and at the same time reduce the number of applications and crop protection input costs for growers.
“Due to the combination of chemical and biological products and several different modes of action in rotational programs, we have created a powerful tool for resistance management,” explained Alvaro Segura, technical expert for bananas in Central America at Bayer’s CropScience division. “This innovative concept can help reverse the current trend of increasing fungicide applications and has already proven to be a valuable tool to make banana production more sustainable in Central America.”
Another major challenge for banana growers in Asia is the occurrence of a new strain of the Panama Disease which infects the plant root system and is caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. The new fungal strain Tropical Race 4 now threatens the production of today’s most popular banana cultivar as it cannot be controlled with common disease management practices.
“Bayer is committed to supporting growers in their fight against this devastating disease,” said Rolf Christian Becker, R&D portfolio manager for horticulture at Bayer. “We have joined forces with other private and public partners in the Panama Disease Consortium.
“In addition, our scientists work on the development of new anti-fungal substances that can complement the fight against the disease and prevent further spreading,” Becker added.
To ensure the supply of high-quality bananas that are produced in a sustainable way, Bayer collaborates with food chain partners along the banana value chain from growers to traders and retailers.
The objective of Bayer’s Food Chain Partnership projects is to enable safety, quality, affordability, transparency and above all sustainability from the plantation to the supermarket.
One successful example is an ongoing cooperation with a banana producer in the Dominican Republic who works according to organic farming principles. “This partnership reflects Bayer’s holistic approach in sustainable agriculture”, said Rigoberto Estrada, crop manager for bananas in Pacto Andino and Central America at Bayer. “We offer this partner a high-quality portfolio of biological crop protection products backed by training measures, demo plots and a stewardship programme. The partner benefits from a reduced number of product applications to control Black Sigatoka as well as banana pests like thrips and nematodes.”
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