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Bananas may be one of the most popular fruits sold in the United States. Grown commercially as a food source, bananas also feature prominently in warm region gardens and conservatories, making striking additions to the landscape. When planted in areas with plenty of sun, bananas are not all that hard to grow, but problems with banana plants are bound to crop up nonetheless. What kinds of banana plant pests and diseases are there? Keep reading to find out how to solve problems with banana plants.
As a backyard gardener growing bananas, I’ve dealt with my fair share of pesky critters and bugs trying to get to my precious banana plants. While chemical pesticides may seem like an easy solution I prefer to use natural non-toxic methods to keep my banana plants healthy and productive. In this article, I’ll go over some of the most common banana plant pests, the damage they cause, and safe ways to prevent and control them without harming you, your family, or the environment.
Aphids
Tiny, soft-bodied insects that come in a variety of colors like green, black, brown, or white Aphids are some of the most widespread pests, feeding on the sap from the leaves and stems of plants. On bananas, they can stunt growth and cause yellow splotches on leaves when large populations are present
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Prevention: Attract natural predators like ladybugs, lacewings, and birds. Avoid over-fertilizing which causes rapid, weak growth that aphids love. Monitor plants frequently and act fast at first sighting.
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Control: Strong blasts of water can knock them off plants. Insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils smother and kill them on contact. Neem oil repels and disrupts their reproduction. Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs or green lacewings.
Scales
Small, immobile insects that attach themselves to leaves and stems. Some common scale varieties are hemispherical, brown, and armored while others are soft-bodied and flatten out on plants. They feed on plant sap and excrete sticky honeydew that attracts ants and leads to the growth of sooty mold fungus.
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Prevention: Keep plants healthy and stress-free. Avoid bringing in infested plants. Quarantine and monitor new plants. Control ants which spread scales.
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Control: Rub off scales with a toothbrush or cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Use insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils. Apply neem oil. Release parasitoid wasps.
Banana Weevils
Snout beetles that bore into banana stalks and corms. Banana weevils are the most destructive pest of banana plants. The larvae tunnel and feed inside the plant tissue while adults nibble on leaves and flowers. Damage results in wilting or toppling of plants.
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Prevention: Remove old banana debris. Use pheromone traps to monitor and mass trap adults. Cover young suckers with soil or wraps to create a barrier.
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Control: If infestation is found early, injecting systemics like imidacloprid into stalks may stop damage. Severe cases require destroying whole mats to control population. Beneficial nematodes control larvae in the soil.
Banana Moths
Caterpillars of these moths scrape and feed on the surface of banana leaves. They construct tubes or ties by folding or rolling leaves together with silk and hide within these shelters as they feed. This results in dried out and dead sections on leaves. They may also burrow into flowers and fruits.
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Prevention: Clean up fallen leaves, stalks, and fruits which provide breeding sites. Cover bunches with bags or wraps before fruits develop. Use pheromone or light traps to monitor populations.
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Control: Handpick and destroy caterpillars. Spray Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticide to control larvae. Release parasitic wasps. Apply neem oil sprays as repellent.
Nematodes
Microscopic worms that infect banana plant root tissues. Major nematode pests are burrowing nematode, root knot nematode, and lesion nematode. They damage roots and interfere with nutrient and water uptake. Plants wilt, are stunted, and more susceptible to toppling by wind.
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Prevention: Test soil and only plant clean stocks. Don’t move soil from infested areas. Solarize soil to kill nematodes. Add organic matter which supports nematode-destroying fungi.
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Control: Fallow land to interrupt and starve nematodes. Rotate and interplant with marigolds or mustard crops. Apply chemical nematicides as a last resort if populations are very high.
Thrips
Tiny winged insects that rasp plant tissues and feed on the exuding sap. They cause whitish scarring on leaves and stems. Thrips are especially drawn to flowering banana plants and can damage bracts and ruin developing fruits.
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Prevention: Use blue or yellow sticky traps to monitor for thrips. Avoid planting near citrus trees which harbor them. Keep area weed-free.
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Control: Blast plants with water to displace thrips. Apply spinosad, azadirachtin, or neem oil sprays. Use beneficial predatory mites.
Banana Bunchy Top Virus
A destructive disease transmitted by the banana aphid. Infected plants are stunted and leaves are narrow with dark green streaks and margins. Leaves bunch together at the top, hence the name. No cure exists and infected mats must be removed and destroyed.
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Prevention: Use disease-free planting materials and quarantine new plants. Control aphid populations. Remove alternate weed hosts. Isolate gardens far from infected bananas.
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Control: No direct control once infected. All diseased mats should be quickly removed. Wait 2-3 years before replanting beds to allow virus to die out.
Natural Pest Control for Bananas
Now that we’ve gone over some of the major banana pests, let’s discuss natural, non-toxic methods to prevent and manage these pests while keeping your plants, family, and the environment safe.
Cultural & Mechanical Control
The first line of defense is utilizing cultural and mechanical techniques to prevent pests from ever becoming a problem:
- Select pest and disease resistant banana varieties
- Keep plants healthy with proper planting sites, spacing, fertilization, and irrigation
- Remove old banana debris and fallen leaves/fruits to eliminate breeding sites
- Use pheromone traps to monitor and mass trap adult insects
- Handpick and destroy any pests found
- Prune damaged leaves or infected plant parts
- Use copper bands, wraps, plastic covers, or netting as physical barriers
Biopesticides
If pests slip through preventative methods, there are several biological control products that can safely knock down populations:
- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt): A bacterial toxin that controls larvae of banana moths, beetles, and other leaf-eating caterpillars
- Beauveria bassiana: A fungal-based insecticide for soft-bodied pests like aphids, mealybugs, thrips and whiteflies
- Azadirachtin: Derived from neem oil, this growth regulator deters feeding and disrupts molting, reproduction, and egg laying of insects
- Horticultural oils: These oils smother soft-bodied scales, aphids, mealybugs, mites, and other pests
- Insecticidal soaps: Soap-based sprays kill soft-bodied insects through direct contact
- Spinosad: A bacterial metabolite spray that targets thrips, fruit flies, borers, beetles, caterpillars, and more
Natural Predators
Releasing or attracting beneficial predators is an easy, hands-off way to keep pest populations in check:
- Ladybugs & Lacewings: Feed on aphids, scales, thrips, mites, and other soft pests
- Parasitic mini-wasps: Attack eggs and larvae of caterpillars, beetles, flies, thrips, and other pests
- Green lacewings: The larvae devour aphids, mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, leaf miners, caterpillars and more
- Predatory mites: Amblyseius mites eat thrips, broad mites, and other mite pests
- Nematodes: Soil-dwelling nematodes parasitize and kill larvae of weevils, borers, and root maggots
Row Covers
Floating row covers act as a physical barrier preventing certain pests from reaching plants. They admit sun and water but keep out the bad guys. Some pests they are especially effective against include:
- Aphids
- Whiteflies
- Caterpillars
- Beetles
- Thrips
The thin fabric allows air and water through while keeping pests off plants. Just drape the fabric directly over plants and secure the edges with stones, stakes, or garden staples. Make sure to remove during flowering so pollinators can reach the blooms.
Conclusion
While chemical pesticides often seem like the easiest and most powerful solution for pesky banana pests, I encourage you to explore natural, non-toxic methods first. The cultural, biological, and mechanical control strategies outlined above can effectively prevent and manage the vast majority of banana plant
Growing Banana Plant Problems
Bananas are monocotyledonous herbaceous plants, not trees, of which there are two species– Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, native to southeast Asia. Most banana cultivars are hybrids of these two species. Bananas were most likely introduced to the New World by southeast Asians around 200 B.C. and by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. The majority of bananas are not hardy and are susceptible to even a light freeze. Extreme cold damage results in the dieback of the crown. Leaves will also naturally shed in exposed areas, an adaptation to tropical storms. Leaves may droop from under or overwatering while brown edges indicate a lack of water or humidity. Another growing banana plant problem is the plant’s size and propensity to spread. Keep that in mind when locating a banana in your garden. Along with these concerns, there are many banana pests and diseases that may afflict a banana plant.
A number of insect pests can affect banana plants. Here are the most common:
- Nematodes: Nematodes are a common banana plant pest. They cause rotting of the corms and act as a vector to the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. There are a number of different species of nematode that like bananas as much as we do. Commercial farmers apply nematicides, which when properly applied, will protect the crop. Otherwise, the soil has to be cleared, plowed, and then exposed to the sun and left fallow for up to three years.
- Weevils: The black weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) or banana stalk borer, banana weevil borer, or corm weevil is the second most destructive pest. Black weevils attack the base of the pseudostem and tunnel upward whereupon a jelly-like sap oozes out from the entry point. Different pesticides are used commercially depending upon the country to control black weevils. Biological control utilizes a predator, Piaesius javanus, but has not been shown to have any truly beneficial results.
- Thrips: Banana rust thrips (C. signipennis), as its name suggests, stains the peel, causing it to split and exposes the flesh which then begins to rot. Insecticidal dust (Diazinon) or a spraying of Dieldrin can control thrips, which pupate in the soil. Additional insecticides combined with polyethylene bagging are also used to control thrips on commercial farms.
- Scarring beetle: The banana fruit scarring beetle, or coquito, invades the bunches when the fruit is young. The banana scab moth infests the inflorescence and is controlled with the use of an injection or dusting of pesticide.
- Sap-sucking insects: Mealybugs, red spider mites, and aphids may also pay a visit to banana plants.
There are quite a number of banana plant diseases that can afflict this plant as well.
- Sigatoka: Sigatoka, also known as leaf spot, is caused by the fungus Mycospharella musicola. It is most commonly found in areas of poorly draining soil and areas of heavy dew. The initial stages show small, pale spots on the leaves that gradually enlarge to about a half inch (1 cm.) in size and become purple/black with gray centers. If the whole plant is infected, it looks as if it has been burned. Orchard grade mineral oil can be sprayed on the banana every three weeks for a total of 12 applications to control Sigatoka. Commercial growers also use aerial spraying and systemic fungicide application to control the disease. Some banana cultivars also show some resistance to Sigatoka.
- Black leaf streak: M. fifiensis causes Black Sigatoka, or Black Leaf Streak, and is much more virulent than Sigatoka. The cultivars that have some resistance to Sigatoka show none to Black Sigatoka. Fungicides have been used to try and control this disease on commercial banana farms through aerial spraying but this is costly and difficult due to scattered plantations.
- Banana wilt: Another fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, causes Panama disease or Banana Wilt (Fusarium wilt). It begins in the soil and travels to the root system, then enters the corm and passes into the pseudostem. Leaves begin to yellow, starting with the oldest leaves and moving in towards the center of the banana. This disease is lethal. It is transmitted through water, wind, moving soil, and farm equipment. On banana plantations, fields are flooded to control the fungus or by planting a covercrop.
- Moko disease: A bacterium, Pseudomona solanacearum, is the culprit resulting in Moko Disease. This disease is the chief disease of banana and plantain in the western hemisphere. It is transmitted via insects, machetes and other farm tools, plant detritus, soil, and root contact with ailing plants. The only sure defense is to plant resistant cultivars. Controlling infected bananas is time-consuming, expensive, and resistant.
- Black end and Cigar tip rot: Black end stems from another fungus causes anthracnose on the plants and infects the stalk and fruiting end. Young fruit shrivels and mummifies. Stored bananas afflicted with this disease rot. Cigar tip rot starts in the flower, moves to the tips of the fruit, and turns them black and fibrous.
- Bunchy top: Bunchy top is transmitted via aphids. Its introduction almost wiped out the commercial banana industry in Queensland. Eradication and control measures along with a quarantine area have managed to stamp out the disease but growers are eternally vigilant for any signs of bunchy top. Leaves are narrow and short with upturned margins. They become stiff and brittle with short leaf stalks that give the plant a rosette look. Young leaves yellow and become wavy with dark green “dot and dash” lines on the undersides.
These are just some of the pests and diseases that can afflict a banana plant. Vigilant attention to any changes in your banana will keep it healthy and fruitful for years to come.
7 Pests You Probably Have In Your Garden (And What To Do)
FAQ
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