**5. Management strategies for the Panama wilt disease of banana**

### **5.1 Crop rotation**

Continuous cultivation of bananas in the field compounds Foc event in the dirt. The spread and survival of this pathogen is mainly depend in the soil and also it can persist in the soil for long term, at the time of conducive environment causes of Fusarium wilt in bananas in severe form [5]. Yield turn as an administration practice, as a rule, is a profoundly effective and naturally friendly methods for control soil-borne diseases. In China, particularly in Panyu, Guangzhou, a region intensely infested by Foc, banana is turned with 2–3 years of economically developed Chinese leek (*Allium tuberosum*) to control Fusarium wilt [8]. Therefore, Chinese leek becomes a possible way for an ecologically friendly treatment to control Fusarium wilt of banana. Crop rotation is one of the most important cultural practices for reducing the plant pathogens in the soil. Crop rotation like pineapple-banana revolution was found more effective than maize-banana by reducing the Foc incidence in the banana fields.

#### **5.2 Organic amendments**

Organic matter management is basic for soil wellbeing and suppressiveness of the pathogens [9]. Albeit natural issues are included through yield buildups and spread harvests, offfield sources eq natural alterations (OAs) are especially significant as they are advanced with specific microorganisms. Yogev et al. [10] demonstrated that fertilizers dependent on plant squander buildups stifled diseases brought about by four different formae speciales of *F. oxysporum melonis*, *basilici, radicis lycopersici*, and *radicis cucumerinum*. Nonetheless, there are significant differences among banana and these yearly crops, regarding trimming cycle, yet in addition in the measure of auxiliary inoculum created per territory. An infected banana plant may created significantly more auxiliary inoculum than these yearly crops. Therefore, the degree of intercession to smother Foc inoculum with use of OAs may be more noteworthy and incorporated with other administration practices like utilization of beneficial and opponent microorganisms. In this sense, the helplessness of *F. oxysporum* to rivalry for supplements in the dirt may facilitate its concealment if great contenders are set up. For example, Fu et al. [11] revealed the concealment of FW in banana by the nonstop utilization of natural fertilizer. In any case, the effect of OAs on disease concealment may likewise be connected to natural control.

### **5.3 Application of silicon (Si) and borax (H3BO3): reduce the severity of Panama wilt of banana**

Silicon (Si) helps in reducing the severity of a range of infections in specific crops [12]. In addition to the other strategies mentioned for managing banana panama wilt, silicon (Si) application shows potential as part of a novel disease management strategy to avoid Foc infection and assist maintain enough banana output in the future [13]. It has been also reported that Si application suppressed disease in cucurbits caused by foliar and soil-borne pathogens. The obtained resistance of Si amended plants against the fungal pathogen might be due to accumulation of Si in the leaves, thereby, interfering with the pathogen's penetration as a result of a mechanical barrier. Niwas et al. [14] tested seven micronutrients *viz*., Calcium nitrate, Ammonium sulphate, Copper sulphate, Potassium chloride, Borax, Ferrous sulphate and Zinc sulphate. Borax @ 500 ppm completely inhibited the growth of *F. oxysporum* f. sp. *cubense* followed by zinc sulphate. Johnson et al. [15] also reported similar results on stem rot of groundnut. The micronutrients were used to manage the disease as well as it provided the healthiness of plant and increase the fertility of the soil that's why the plant was free from the disease or less infected. The mycelial growth of *F. oxysporum* f. sp. *cubense* was found low against different micronutrients and finally, it is concluded the borax completely inhibited the growth of *F. oxysporum* f. sp. *cubense in vitro* and used for the management of the Fusarium wilt disease of Banana under field conditions.

### **5.4 Application of phyto-hormones for the induction of resistance against Panama wilt**

Plant hormones act as an important regulators in plant-microbe interactions. The impact of key plant hormones on the interaction between Fusarium wilt and host plants was also examined for suppressing the pathogens. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) activates host defence against a wide range of infections as well as control host defence responses to biotic and abiotic challenges. Reglinski et al. [16] reported that application of MeJA to *Pinus radiata* seedlings resulted in induced resistance to subsequent wound inoculation with *Diplodia pinea*. Sun et al. [17] reported that the application of MeJA activated enzymes and reduced the level of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) in banana plantlets following inoculation with Foc TR4.

#### **5.5 Application of bio-control agent for managing Fusarium wilt of banana**

Considering the urgency of Panama disease, biological control offers a complementary disease management approach. However, there has been very little long-term biocontrol effectiveness studies for Fusarium wilt of banana in the field. In recent years, the usage of biocontrol agents (BCAs) has been shown to be an ecofriendly disease management technique. Xue et al. [18] identified one *Bacillus* spp. isolate as a possible biocontrol agent that plays a key role in the management of banana wilt disease. Despite the limitation of published scientific research on biocontrol, particularly with practical field findings, techniques that may be used to predict biocontrol failures in the field would necessitate a deeper knowledge of these interactions as well as pragmatic assessments of their usefulness. Biological control's success is determined not just by production techniques, but also by the expenses involved and the presence of effective antagonists. Furthermore, these antagonists must be dry preparations that may be stored for a long term. As field trials reports, soil application of *Trichoderma harzianum* effectively controlled Fusarium wilt with an efficacy comparable to that of the fungicide carbendazim. Previous reports have also demonstrated that siderophore producing endophytic *streptomycetes* from banana roots are effective against the Fusarium wilt pathogen and which developed as BCAs against the banana Fusarium disease. Successful inoculation of tissue cultured banana plants with fungal endophytes has been reported by Paparu et al. [19]. Addition of artificial inoculation to tissue cultured

#### *Fusarium Wilt: A Destructive Disease of Banana and Their Sustainable Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101496*

banana plantlets resulted in a substantial reduction in the infection and severity of Fusarium wilt disease, as well as increased the plant growth parameters [20]. Application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to induce resistance against Fusarium wilt of banana plants. PGPR are considered as the most promising agent for cash crop production and managing soil-borne disease. Several substances produced by PGPR such as antibiotics have been related to pathogen control and indirect promotion of growth in many ways. Considering the employment of elicitors in crop protection is still in the very early stages for the use as a new control method, further research in this area is needed to demonstrate elicitors' effectiveness in banana wilt disease control.
