First Morphological Detection of Non-Quarantine Pest Causing Banana Wilt in Morotai Island

Abstract

<p>There are two symptoms of wilting in banana plants that have been widely known, namely fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt. The symptoms of banana wilt usually are attributed to pathogenic fungi. Wilting symptoms on the leaves are usually accompanied by leaf spot, leaf streak, leaf speckle and anthracnose. Recent quarantine pest<em> </em>reports have found the symptoms of banana wilt in Morotai Island, Indonesia. The pathogens attack many local cultivars of banana plants including Mas, Ambon, Kepok and Nangka. The study aimed to establish the morphological characters of the pathogens that cause banana wilt. Descriptive research began with the sampling of diseased symptomatic leaves, field data reports and identification of pathogenic morphological characters in the laboratory. The variable observed were the disease symptoms, color and shape of mycelia, conidia, kinds of the pathogens and their growth on agar medium. The results showed that there was no quarantine pest on the symptomatic banana samples. There were two non-quarantine pests that had been identified, i.e <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em> causing fusarium wilt and <em>Cladosporium musae</em> causing leaf speckle.</p>