Fusarium wilt (FW) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is a soil-borne disease that infects bananas, causing severe economic losses worldwide. To reveal the relationship between bacterial populations and FW, the bacterial communities of healthy and TR4-infected rhizosphere and bulk soils were compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Soil physicochemical properties associated with FW were also analyzed. We found the community structure of bacteria in the healthy and TR4 infected rhizosphere was significantly different compared to bulk soil within the same farm. The rhizosphere soils of infected plants exhibited higher richness and diversity than healthy plant with significant abundance of Proteobacteria. In the healthy rhizosphere soil, beneficial bacteria such as Burkholderia and Streptomyces spp. were more abundant. Compared to the infected rhizosphere soil, healthy rhizosphere soil was associated with RNA metabolism and transporters pathways and a high level of magnesium and cation exchange capacity. Overall, we reported changes in the key taxa of rhizospheric bacterial communities and soil physicochemical properties of healthy and FW-infected plants, suggesting their potential role as indicators for plant health.

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Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), is one of the most threatening fungal diseases affecting banana plantations across the globe. It was first discovered in Australia in 1874 and has now spread to numerous different regions in the world hinting at the persistency of the pathogen. Various management strategies have been devised aiming mainly on improving the plant's tolerance or suppressing the infection. Fungicide is commonly used to control the disease spread, but it does not provide total protection to the plants besides displaying selective effectiveness on certain Foc strains. Alternatively, farmers apply crop rotation, rice hull burning, biological soil disinfestation, and compound-supplemented soil in their banana plantations. Studies have also shown that certain biocontrol agents manage to curb the disease threat. Selection of somaclonal variants and genetic manipulation via induced mutagenesis and transformation are also among the alternatives that have been implemented in producing Fusarium-tolerant and Fusariumresistant banana plants. This chapter will describe Fusarium epidemics in banana, the effectiveness and challenges of different management approaches, as well as the future alternatives that can be adopted by taking advantages of the latest advances in omics technologies.