Project description
Saving banana crops from pathogens
Nematodes, weevils and Panama disease wreak havoc on banana crops, causing annual losses worth billions of euro in the Canary Islands, Caribbean and Africa. These threats jeopardise food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa , where millions depend on bananas as staple food and income. However, conventional pesticides are no longer sustainable due to environmental harm and restrictions. In the absence of long-term strategies and effective control methods, coupled with changing climate conditions, banana crops face escalating risks from pathogens and pests. The EU-funded MUSA project will address this challenge by harnessing the power of beneficial microorganisms. Through innovative integrated pest management methods, leveraging beneficial microorganisms, MUSA aims to revolutionise banana cultivation, safeguarding crops and ensuring sustainable food production.
Objective
Nematodes and weevils of banana with Panama disease globally affect food security, causing yearly crop losses for many billion € in Canary Islands, Caribbean and Africa. These threats concomitantly affect crops in tropical and sub-tropical systems. In regions such as Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) millions of farmers rely on cooking banana, plantain and ensete as starch staple food crops and for income. Pesticides no longer represent a sustainable option for control, and many have been progressively withdrawn from use in the EU or are highly restricted, due to harmful effects on the environment and toxic residues. In SSA, where phytosanitary policies and regulations are often less effective, such pesticides are still being (mis)used, posing a significant threat to vulnerable farmers and consumers. In the absence of long term strategies or suitable control methods, and under the influence of changing climates in tropical and subtropical regions, the banana crops are becoming ever more exposed to pathogens and pests due to higher multiplication rates and prevalence induced by temperatures and rainfall patterns. The principal outcome of this project will be to achieve sustainable intensification of Musa spp. and ensete crops, through identification, development and implementation of IPM based on beneficial microorganisms. MUSA proposes, in a holistic view, IPM methods based on microbial consortia and banana germplasm, studying the plant reactions (phenotypic and molecular) to different biotic stresses. This will be achieved by screening, testing and evaluating in the field, selected banana lines, in an attempt to identify (via transcriptomic analyses) the principal genes involved in driving a resistant/succumbent response, and the interaction with beneficial microorganisms. The latter include endophytes and biocontrol agents (EBCAs) integrated with plant germplasm to develop information-based IPM strategies through field trials.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protection
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata mining
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactions
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
00185 Roma
Italy