Latest Panama TR4 news
Eighth case of Panama TR4 in the Tully Valley
16 May 2023
The eighth case of Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) has been confirmed on a commercial banana farm in the Tully Valley, Far North Queensland.
The property in question, alongside all other commercial banana farms in the Tully Valley, has been subject to a frequent surveillance schedule over the past eight years to aid early detection of the disease.
Sampling events on this property prior to this detection have all returned a negative diagnostic result for Panama TR4.
A single plant on the property has returned a positive result for Panama TR4. Further testing will be undertaken to provide additional confidence of the positive diagnostic result for Panama TR4. These results could take up to four weeks.
Early detection, rapid destruction of infected plants and on-farm restrictions are the only way to control and contain the disease
Seventh case of Panama TR4 in the Tully Valley
2 March 2023
A new case of Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) has been detected on a commercial banana farm in the Tully Valley, Far North Queensland.
This is the seventh confirmed infested property in the Tully Valley since the disease was first detected in Queensland in 2015.
Given the nature of the disease, and this new infested property's close proximity to other infested properties, this detection is not unexpected.
The property in question, alongside all other commercial banana farms in the Tully Valley, has been subject to a frequent surveillance schedule over the past 8 years to aid early detection of the disease.
Twenty-nine surveillance events have been conducted on the property since 2015, with only 2 samples collected in this time. The first sample taken in 2020 returned a negative diagnostic result for Panama TR4.
Because this is the first plant on the property to return a positive result for Panama TR4, further testing will be undertaken to provide additional confidence of the positive diagnostic result for Panama TR4. These results could take up to 4 weeks.
Early detection, rapid destruction of infected plants and on-farm restrictions are the only way to control and contain the disease.
New children’s book about Panama TR4
23 June 2022
A new children’s book about Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) has been launched with the help of some very enthusiastic biosecurity champions.
Held at the Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture at South Johnstone, the launch of 'Charlie goes bananas!' included a live reading to local school children.
'Charlie goes bananas' shares simple messages and fun facts to highlight the importance of biosecurity and shared responsibility. With 95% of Australia’s bananas grown in Far North Queensland, it’s important that everybody knows how to help reduce the spread of Panama TR4 and ways to protect the banana industry.
'Charlie goes bananas!' was commissioned by the Panama TR4 Program, a joint initiative between the Queensland Government and the Australian Banana Growers' Council (ABGC).
Copies of the book are available by contacting the Panama TR4 Program on 4091 8140 or email panamatr4@daf.qld.gov.au.
To find out how you too can help protect banana farms from Panama TR4.
Read the full media release here.
New case of Panama TR4 in the Tully Valley
22 June 2022
A new case of Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) has been detected in close proximity to existing infested properties in the Tully Valley, Far North Queensland.
This is the sixth infested property in the Tully Valley since the disease was first detected in Queensland in 2015.
While this news is not welcome to anyone involved, it comes as no surprise.
As with all other commercial banana farms in the Tully Valley, this property has been subject to surveillance every 3 months to ensure early detection of the disease.
A high rotation of 26 surveillance events have been conducted on the property since 2015, with 16 samples collected in this time. Until now, all samples have tested negative to Panama TR4.
As these are the first plants on the property to return a positive result for Panama TR4, further testing will be undertaken to provide additional confidence of the positive diagnostic result for Panama TR4. These results could take up to 4 weeks.
Early detection, rapid destruction of infected plants and on-farm restrictions are the only way to control and contain the disease.
Good news for Panama TR4 infested property owners as changes to the Queensland biosecurity manual take effect
30 March 2022
As a result of findings from last year’s Epidemiological Review into Panama TR4 (PDF, 953.5KB), changes to the Queensland biosecurity manual mean destruction of Panama TR4 infected plants on infested properties will commence sooner.
From 30 March 2022, positive plants on already infested properties will be identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis. This result is available within 10 days of Fusarium odoratissimum (the fungal species of Panama TR4) cultures being isolated from the sample, which is significantly less time than the previous diagnostic process. All plants on infested properties that are confirmed to have Panama TR4 at PCR diagnosis will continue to be destroyed by the property owner in accordance with Section 12 of the Queensland biosecurity manual (PDF, 523.8KB).
Helping the grower act quicky by destroying plants early reduces the chance for fungal spores to build up and infect other plants, which is critical to the ongoing viability of their farms.
Since 2017, all samples progressed through the PCR test to vegetative compatibility group (VCG) diagnosis before the disease could be confirmed. This process takes between 3 and 6 weeks from the commencement of the test. Positive plants were then destroyed at the VCG diagnosis as prescribed in the manual.
With 100% consistency between PCR and VCG testing since 2017, and because we know that Panama TR4 is present on an infested property, destroying plants known to have the disease at the PCR stage will reduce the length of time the infected plant remains standing and potential for the fungus to produce spores.
All infested property owners will be given the choice for each sample to go through to VCG diagnosis. However from 1 July 2022, this will be at the grower’s expense ($285.70 per test). If the infested property owner does not request the sample go through to VCG, the sample will be processed through to PCR only and the grower will not incur any costs.
Scientific review informs industry of a way forward in the management of Panama TR4
21 September 2021
An independently commissioned review into Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) in Far North Queensland has provided a list of research priorities that will help guide industry to manage the disease in the long term.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Chief Biosecurity Officer Malcolm Letts, who chairs the Panama TR4 Program Management Board (Board), said the 2021 Panama TR4 Epidemiological Review (the Review) generated some key actions that industry, government and growers could take on board.
"The Board will now be progressing a number of priority areas of research including investigations into the protocol for destroying diseased plants, alternative methods of detecting the disease like e-nose technology, and environmental, host, pathogen relationships," Mr Letts said.
For growers the Review suggests a number of agronomic practices that would assist with minimising crop losses to Panama TR4, and management strategies that improve plant and soil health so plants are less predisposed to infection.
The Panama TR4 Program Management Board encourages growers to read the 2021 Panama TR4 Epidemiological Review and welcomes feedback via the Industry Transition Leader, Geoff Wilson on 0418 644 068 or geoff@abgc.org.au.
