Coordination of banana industry research and development (Panama TR4) (BA14012)

What was it all about?

The objective of this project, which ran between 2015 and 2018, was to coordinate and build knowledge and capacity within the Australian banana industry to manage and contain Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) fungal disease, first identified in Queensland in March 2015.

Dr Rosie Godwin from the Australian Banana Growers’ Council was employed as the Banana Industry R&D Manager, to ensure that R&D on Panama TR4 continued to have tangible outcomes for banana growers that can be adopted on-farm.

The project encompassed a significant amount of work that assisted the banana industry adapt to TR4 including…

• Helping with Biosecurity Queensland’s TR4 response program
• Consulting with growers on TR4 and other relevant industry issues
• Developing guidelines, factsheets and training material to support the containment of the disease
• Developing a biosecurity action plan template for banana growers that highlights risks and biosecurity measures to reduce TR4 infection and spread.

ACT NOW

Biosecurity Queensland requires owners of TR4-infested land to develop a Farm Biosecurity Management Plan, using the Biosecurity Plan Template to document how they will meet biosecurity requirements that allow production to continue. You can download the template from the Australian Banana Growers’ Council website here (current at the time of writing).

Other growers should also complete the template since it will highlight risk pathways that growers can address to reduce the chance of TR4 spreading to their property, as well as allowing fast decision-making and action should the worst occur.

You can read more on the work here and learn more about Biosecurity Queensland’s TR4 response here.