TABLE CONTENTS

SESSION SEVENTEEN – NEMATODES IN TROPICAL HORTICULTURE
CONVENORS: PATRICK QUÉNÉHERVÉ & DAVABAI
Plant-parasitic Nematodes Affecting Banana and Plantain in Africa: A
Shifting Focus?
Coyne, D. (1) & L. Waeyenberge (2)
(1) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kampala, Uganda; (2) Agricultural Research Centre
(CLO), Crop Protection Dept., Ghent, Belgium
Plant-parasitic nematodes are a key cause of banana and plantain (Musa spp.) crop loss in
Africa. Severely-affected plants can result in total loss of bunches. The problem is
exacerbated by the continued use, by farmers, of nematode-infected planting material. The
use of healthy planting material thereofore, provides a practical first step towards nematode
management in Africa. However, the use of nematode-resistant cultivars will provide a highly
complementary option for nematode management. Radopholus similis has long since been the
focus of resistance breeding in Musa spp., and remains the accepted key nematode pest of
Musa spp. across the globe. In Africa, however, recent surveys have observed an increasing
incidence of Pratylenchus coffeae, and now regarded as the most important species in some
cases. Other species, such as Meloidogyne spp. and Helicotylenchus multicinctus, are also
involved in nematode community complexes across the continent. In higher, cooler locations,
Pratylenchus goodeyi is often a key nematode species, but has lately been found occurring in
hot, coastal areas. The distribution of nematodes and their relative importance on banana
remains scant for many areas of Africa. Furthermore, the recent use of molecular techniques
is raising questions as to the validity of some species identification. If breeding programmes
are to target the key nematode species, the evidence indicates that greater emphasis should be
placed on P. coffeae. Additional efforts should focus on accurate diagnosis. Resistance
against one species, for example, does not necessarily confer resistance against another.
Moreover, strains or pathotypes of the same species can also react differently to resistance.
Addressing the nematode problem initially depends on improved use of healthy planting
material. Meanwhile, the use of resistance needs to be accurately targeted in relation to key
needs, based on good quality and accurate diagnostics, as a sound basis for Musa nematode
management in Africa.
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 64