Banana Twenty-first to twenty-second week practices

Digging and earthing up of soil around the plant. Removal of the dried and diseased leaves and spraying of 0.1% Propiconazol (TILT) by thoroughly covering both the surfaces adding wetting agent with the spray fluid especially during winter and cool months for control of Sigatoka leaf spot diseases.

Yellow sigatoka:Mycospharella musicola

Symptom:

• Leaves show ellipthical spots where the centre of these spots turns to light grey colour surrounded by yellow halo
• The spots often coalesce to form large irregular patches of dried tissue
• Rapid drying and defoliation of leaves are the characteristic feature of this disease

    Yellowish and greenish streaks                   Elliptical brown spots

MANAGEMENT:

• Removal and destruction of affected leaves.
• Keep the banana field as weed free and remove the suckers timely.
• Avoid planting at close spacing.
• Provide proper drainage and avoid water logging in the fields which favours infection.
• Spray   3 times with Carbendazim 0.1 per cent or Propicanozole 0.1 % or Mancozeb 0.25% and teepol (sticking agent) at 10-15 days interval, as the disease starting from initial appearance of leaf specks.