Phytosanitary practices are recommended to reduce the incidence in the Windward Islands of banana pests and diseases: leaf spot (Mycosphaerella musicola), crown rot (Fusarium roseum), virus diseases (bunchy top), moko disease (Pseudomonas solanacearum), banana borer (Cosmopolites sordidus), rust thrips (Chaetonophothrips signipennis), flower thrips (Frankliniella parvula), Lachnopus beetle and nematodes

During the past several decades, significant progress has been made in reducing global hunger and malnutrition. The number of people suffering malnutrition, however, is rising again. The hidden costs and externalities in the agrifood systems are among the major contributors to various economic, social, and public health crises including food insecurity, zoonotic diseases, climate change, and malnutrition. Compounding the ongoing challenges facing the global agrifood systems, the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in 2020, has intensified food insecurity and malnutrition in many parts of the world. Global food price indexes increased by more than 27.3 percent from the second half of 2020 to March 2021. Moreover, with many people losing their jobs during the COVID-19 outbreak and therefore facing a dramatic income decrease, the number of people confronted with food crises and extreme poverty increased significantly. Furthermore, the outbreak and prevalence of COVID-19 also increased regional inequalities in global food security, especially in Africa and the Middle East.

During the past several decades, significant progress has been made in reducing global hunger and malnutrition. The number of people suffering malnutrition, however, is rising again. The hidden costs and externalities in the agrifood systems are among the major contributors to various economic, social, and public health crises including food insecurity, zoonotic diseases, climate change, and malnutrition. Compounding the ongoing challenges facing the global agrifood systems, the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in 2020, has intensified food insecurity and malnutrition in many parts of the world. Global food price indexes increased by more than 27.3 percent from the second half of 2020 to March 2021. Moreover, with many people losing their jobs during the COVID-19 outbreak and therefore facing a dramatic income decrease, the number of people confronted with food crises and extreme poverty increased significantly. Furthermore, the outbreak and prevalence of COVID-19 also increased regional inequalities in global food security, especially in Africa and the Middle East.

The advantages of shoot tip planting material in banana production are briefly outlined. The production scheme and ongoing research at IRFA/Vitropic are summarised

Describes the phytosanitary measures in force and those that are planned. These include provision of virus-free registered mother trees to nurseries, registration of citrus nurseries, regulation of seed and imports, and inspection of farms and nurseries

Outlines the history and objectives of the California Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) which conducts research and is a primary source of disease-free budwood of desirable true-to-type citrus scion and rootstock varieties designed to exclude graft transmissible diseases (virus and virus-like)

Research is directed towards study of host-parasite relations. The 3 Sigatoka leaf spot pathogens, Mycosphaerella musicola (Yellow Sigatoka), M. fijiensis (Black Leaf Streak) and M. fijiensis difformis are compared morphologically and pathogenically. Species identification by electrophoresis on acrylamide gels has been studied, the species also differ in host range, geographical range, symptoms and distribution of lesions. Early tests of susceptibility of plantlets from meristem culture suggest that they react to infection in the same way as observed in the field

The leaf spot diseases of bananas and plantains, Sigatoka and Black Sigatoka, caused by Mycosphaerella musicola and M. fijiensis var. difformis are distributed worldwide and only in Central America respectively. Epidemiological studies are described in detail including seventy of the pathogens at different sites and correlation with climatic data. Susceptibilities of different banana and plantain genomic groups were found to be nearly identical for both diseases except that Black Sigatoka is more virulent so that both pathogens occupy the same ecological niche. A method developed to test the susceptibility of musa clones to Black Sigatoka using plantlets derived from shoot tip culture is described

Pests of major economic significance, their distribution in the Commonwealth Caribbean, the damage they cause and practices for their control are tabulated. The types of pests discussed are defoliators and foliage sap feeders and those causing damage to fruit, fiddler beetles, fruit flies, scale insects, and fruit piercing moths. The potentially serious pests of quarantine significance are summarised with their worldwide distribution and host plants other than citrus. The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata and the aphid vector of Tristeza, Toxoptera citricidus are significant