Coordination as Management Response to the Spread of a Global Plant Disease: A Case Study in a Major Philippine Banana Production Area

A critical review on bioaerosols-dispersal of crop pathogenic microorganisms and their impact on crop yield

Bioaerosols are potential sources of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause devastating outbreaks of global crop diseases. Various microorganisms, insects and viroids are known to cause severe crop diseases impeding global agro-economy. Such losses threaten global food security, as it is estimated that almost 821 million people are underfed due to global crisis in food production. It is estimated that global population would reach 10 billion by 2050. Hence, it is imperative to substantially increase global food production to about 60% more than the existing levels. To meet the increasing demand, it is essential to control crop diseases and increase yield. Better understanding of the dispersive nature of bioaerosols, seasonal variations, regional diversity and load would enable in formulating improved strategies to control disease severity, onset and spread. Further, insights on regional and global bioaerosol composition and dissemination would help in predicting and preventing endemic and epidemic outbreaks of crop diseases. Advanced knowledge of the factors influencing disease onset and progress, mechanism of pathogen attachment and penetration, dispersal of pathogens, life cycle and the mode of infection, aid the development and implementation of species-specific and region-specific preventive strategies to control crop diseases. Intriguingly, development of R gene-mediated resistant varieties has shown promising results in controlling crop diseases. Forthcoming studies on the development of an appropriately stacked R gene with a wide range of resistance to crop diseases would enable proper management and yield. The article reviews various aspects of pathogenic bioaerosols, pathogen invasion and infestation, crop diseases and yield.

The Advance of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 in Musaceae of Latin America and the Caribbean: Current Situation

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (syn. Fusarium odoratissimum) (Foc TR4) causes vascular wilt in Musaceae plants and is considered the most lethal for these crops. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), it was reported for the first time in Colombia (2019), later in Peru (2021), and recently declared in Venezuela (2023). This work aimed to analyze the evolution of Foc TR4 in Musaceae in LAC between 2018 and 2022. This perspective contains a selection of topics related to Foc TR4 in LAC that address and describe (i) the threat of Foc TR4 in LAC, (ii) a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production of Foc TR4 in LAC, (iii) the current situation of Foc TR4 in Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, (iv) medium-term prospects in LAC member countries, and (v) export trade and local food security. In this study, the presence of Foc TR4 in Venezuela and the possible consequences of the production of Musaceae in the long term were reported for the first time. In conclusion, TR4 is a major threat to banana production in Latin America and the world, and it is important to take measures to control the spread of the fungus and minimize its impact on the banana industry. It is important to keep working on the control of Foc TR4, which requires the participation of the local and international industry, researchers, and consumers, among others, to prevent the disappearance of bananas.

Efficacy of Disinfectants Against Tropical Race 4 Causing Fusarium Wilt in Cavendish Bananas

Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by a suite of Fusarium fungi, is among the most devastating plant diseases. The iconic FWB epidemic in the previous century lasted decades and was caused by so-called Race 1 strains that wiped out the dominant 'Gros Michel' banana plantations across Central America. Eventually, it was stopped because the Race 1-resistant 'Cavendish' banana variety replaced 'Gros Michel', which dominates global production (>50%) and trade (>95%). However, presently, the so-called Tropical Race 4 (TR4) threatens plantations of 'Cavendish' and many other banana varieties around the globe. Prevention is the first line of defense against the spread of TR4. Therefore, many disinfection units are installed to prevent the entry of TR4 in banana plantations. These foot and tire baths are filled with disinfectants, but limited knowledge is available on their efficacy. In this project, we evaluated 13 disinfectants commonly used in the Philippines. Our results show that the efficacy of these products depends on the type of fungal spores, the exposure time, and the replenishment frequency of the disinfection units. The resting spores of TR4 were resistant to all but one - unfortunately corrosive - disinfectant. Furthermore, we show that the actual contact time with disinfectants was far below the thresholds determined in laboratory experiments. Finally, muddy disinfection units reduced the efficacy of disinfectants. Taken together, we conclude that practices are inadequate to prevent the dissemination of TR4.

Learning and Collaboration during Crisis: A Novel University-Community Partnership to Manufacture Medical Personal Protective Equipment

Research on crisis management focuses on pre-planning for disasters in order to understand potential barriers. However, one significant barrier to crisis response is that organizations may come together in unplanned configurations during crisis response. This means that significant opportunities exist for understanding the process by which individuals learn, collaborate, and create new systems during crises. In this case report, we present the case of face shield production by a university, academic medical center, and community partners during the supply chain collapse of the early COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of identifying the relationships that formed during the COVID-19 response, so that this case of relationship formation and participant experiences might inform similar disaster response challenges in the future. Thirteen participants responded to an in-depth questionnaire designed to simulate an asynchronous in-depth interview. Respondents reported on the activities of 80 individuals from 38 units/organizations, providing insight into communication challenges and resolutions. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis, highlighting roles and relationships among participants. The findings grant insight into the experience of learning from crisis response efforts, responding to recent calls for social scientific work on COVID-19 responses.

Ex Ante Assessment of Returns on Research Investments to Address the Impact of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 on Global Banana Production

The spread of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), has been projected to reach 17% of the global banana-growing area by 2040 equaling 36 million tons of production worth over US$10 billion. This potential loss has fueled (inter)national discussions about the best responses to protect production and small-scale growers' livelihoods. As part of a multi-crop ex ante assessment of returns on research investments conducted by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) from 2012 to 2016, four FWB research options were assessed: (i) improved exclusion, surveillance, eradication, and containment (ESEC) measures to reduce Foc TR4 spread, (ii) integrated crop and disease management (ICDM) to facilitate production of partially FWB resistant cultivars on Foc-infested soils, (iii) conventional breeding of FWB-resistant cultivars (CBRC), and (iv) genetically modified (GM) FWB-resistant cultivars (GMRC). Building on a risk index (Foc scale) predicting the initial occurrence and internal spread of Foc TR4 in 29 countries, an economic surplus (ES) model, cost-benefit analysis, and poverty impact simulations were used to assess impact under two adoption scenarios. All options yield positive net present values (NPVs) and internal rates of return (IRRs) above the standard 10% rate. For the conservative scenario with 50% reduced adoption, IRRs were still 30% for ICDM, 20% for CBRC, and 28% for GMRC. ESEC has IRRs between 11 and 14%, due to higher costs of capacity strengthening, on-going surveillance, farmer awareness campaigns, and implementation of farm biosecurity practices, which could be effective for other diseases and benefit multiple crops. The research investments would reach between 2.7 million (GMRC) and 14 million (ESEC) small-scale beneficiaries across Asia/Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America/Caribbean. The options varied in their potential to reduce poverty, with the largest poverty reduction resulting from CBRC with 850,000 and ESEC with 807,000 persons lifted out of poverty (higher adoption scenario). In the discussion, we address the data needs for more fine-grained calculations to better guide research investment decisions. Our results show the potential of public investments in concerted research addressing the spread of Foc TR4 to yield high returns and substantially slow down disease spread.