The banana borer Cosmopolites sordidus and the disease Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum, are among the most harmful pests that threaten the livelihoods of banana growers, who face major challenges in attempting to control them. The former is a species of weevil that bores into the plant's rhizome (the underground stem that produces roots and shoots), weakening its root system, reducing nutrient absorption and significantly lowering yield. The adult insect also spreads and increases infection by other pathogens. Fusarium wilt, popularly known as Panama disease, is a fungal disease that blocks the flow of water and nutrients, spreading rapidly and eventually killing the plant.
Commercial plantations require a combination of management practices to mitigate their effects, including biological control. A soil-borne fungus that has not yet been studied in depth in Brazil or elsewhere and can be used for this purpose was recently isolated by scientists at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, and Bioversity International's Regional Office for the Americas in Colombia, with the support of researchers at the São Paulo's Agency for Agribusiness Technology (APTA) in the Ribeira Valley region and the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC). The fungus is called Beauveria caledonica and it was found in the Ribeira Valley, a major banana-growing area in the south of São Paulo state.An article reporting the study's findings is published in Pest Management Science. The paper describes how B. caledonica (Bc) infects and kills C. sordidus as well as inhibits Fusarium ...