On September 22nd, National Banana Day is celebrated, highlighting Brazil's most consumed fruit globally. São Paulo plays a crucial role, contributing over 25% to the national production, equating to one million tons from 52 thousand hectares. The Ribeira Valley stands out as the primary production hub, cultivating varieties including prata, nanica, Maçã, ouro, and terra.
The Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of São Paulo (SAA) has initiated multiple strategies to bolster the banana sector, ranging from genetic enhancement to phytosanitary actions. Notably, the Coordination of Comprehensive Technical Assistance (CATI) Seeds and Seedlings has focused on producing micropropagated banana seedlings to ensure genetic, physiological, and sanitary quality. This micropropagation technique in laboratories aims to replicate seedlings identical to the parent plant, enhancing productivity by up to 30%.
The Banana Project by CATI Sementes e Mudas promotes the renewal of banana plantations with seedlings resistant or tolerant to Black Sigatoka, a disease that escalates production costs due to increased pesticide use. "Black Sigatoka causes a drop in productivity, quality and, consequently, in the income of producers. A program to supply quality seedlings, varieties that are more resistant or tolerant to this disease, can help the sector overcome the crisis it is going through and even allow for the future certification of products obtained from the new banana plantations, due to the reduced use of agricultural pesticides", explains Marcos Augusto Franco Junior, technical director of the CATI Seedling Center.
The Agricultural Defense Coordination (CDA) ensures phytosanitary sustainability in São Paulo, mandating the registration of banana production units in the GEDAVE system. "With this standard, we defend the phytosanitary sustainability of banana cultivation in the State of São Paulo, the largest Brazilian producer and consumer of the fruit, in addition to defining more clearly the sanitary defense actions aimed at the crop", states Alexandre Paloschi, director of the Department of Sanitary Defense and Plant Inspection (DDSIV).
Addressing Banana Fusarium Wilt, CDA emphasizes research on prevention against the soil-dwelling fungus, particularly the Race 4 Tropical variant threatening to enter Brazil. "R4T has arrived in Colombia (2019), Peru (2021) and Venezuela (2023) and is threatening to enter Brazilian territory. Brazilian Agricultural Defense agencies have been on alert since 2018, when the National Prevention and Surveillance Plan for this imminent pest was published," concludes Ana Paula de Lima, agricultural assistant at CDA, Regional Registry.
Source: Abrafrutas