1 June 2022
Banana freckle has been detected at a rural residential property in the Northern Territory’s Top End.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade confirmed the sequencing results from an interstate laboratory yesterday afternoon.
Banana freckle is a fungal disease of banana leaves and fruit. There is no risk to human health from eating affected bananas.
The Phyllosticta cavendishii strain of fungus was detected on Dwarf Cavendish bananas at the infected property in the Batchelor – Rum Jungle region. The banana plants have only been grown on the infected property for the past 3 years (after the eradication of banana freckle in the NT in 2019).
Plant biosecurity officers are undertaking surveillance across the Top End to determine how widespread the pest is. They will follow strict biosecurity decontamination protocols when entering and exiting any premises to prevent the risk of spreading the disease.
Banana freckle is a ‘wet spore’ organism. It generally moves short distances by water droplet splashes and wind-driven rain. The pest is spread over larger distances by people moving infected fruit, leaves and suckers used for planting.
Banana freckle causes spotting on banana leaves and fruit. The signs include:
A sandpaper-like texture on leaves and fruit. This is caused by the pest sticking up through the surface of the leaf or skin. Spotting may extend to the flower bracts, leaf midrib and bunch stalks. Fruit are infected, causing blemishes. This increases as the fruit matures. Large areas of the fruit’s surface may become black due to dense spotting.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade’s Plant Biosecurity team is working with industry to support a small number of nurseries, commercial growers and rural property owners to manage this pest.
The Northern Territory Government is also working with the Commonwealth, state and territory governments through the national response arrangements.
The national technical committee, the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests will meet on Friday to consider the detection to determine response actions.
Banana freckle is an emergency plant pest. If you suspect plants may be affected, you must report it. You can do this by phoning the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
