Abstract

Côte d’Ivoire is the leading dessert banana producing country in Africa. It exports 80% of its production to the European Union markets. Growing large dwarf dessert bananas is profitable for both operators and the country. However, storage diseases threaten the quality of production. With the aim of contributing to the fight against the fungi responsible for these diseases, samples of banana bunches treated without the apex with Azoxystrobin and Boscalid were collected for three years in the production zones. These samples were stored for 21 days in the laboratory. The symptoms developed by the banana bunches and fingers have been observed and described. From infected banana explants, the fungi associated with the symptoms observed were identified. A pathogenicity test was used to identify the fungi responsible for storage diseases. Fungi present at the apex of fingers treated with antifungals were identified. Bunches of bananas were then treated with the antifungals mentioned, targeting the apex. Infection rates for storage diseases in treated and untreated apex fingers were compared. The banana bunches developed crown and apex rot and pericarp necrosis during storage. The fungi responsible for these infections were of the genera Botryodiplodia, Fusarium, Colletotrichum and Musicillium. The same isolates responsible for storage diseases identified on bananas without the apex and infected after 21 days of storage were identified at the apex of the fingers after 48 hours of storage. Treatment with Azoxystrobin and Boscalid targeted at the apex of the fingers reduced storage diseases in dessert bananas by more than 80 to 90%.