Control of black leaf streak disease without mancozeb in commercial plantations of Colombia
Abstract
Black Leaf Streak Disease (BLSD) is the main pathogenic constraint for Cavendish banana production systems intended for export. Conventional control strategies of this damaging disease largely rely on weekly applications of mancozeb, often combined with curative fungicides that frequently lost effectiveness due to the emergence of fungal resistance driven by their intensive use. Such strategies are no longer considered sustainable due to technical, environmental, economic, and regulatory reasons. Indeed, mancozeb has been banned in the European Union (EU) since 2021, and additional restrictions on dithiocarbamates are expected under the European Green Deal. Here, we conducted a one-year evaluation of an alternative control strategy in a commercial plantation of Colombia, characterized by a humid tropical climate with a distinct dry season. This strategy is based on a biological forecasting system that supports rational treatment decisions through weekly monitoring of epidemiological and climatic parameters. It excludes mancozeb and other active substances not approved in the EU and promotes the use of mineral oil and SBI group 2 fungicides. Results showed that this forecasting-based strategy achieved disease control comparable to the conventional program used in an adjacent plantation. The Treatment Frequency Index was reduced by 60%, the amount of active ingredients applied by 78%, and the use of non-EU-approved substances by 89%. Treatment costs were reduced by 36%, while disease pressure, fruit quality, and yield were maintained. These promising results support scaling up this approach to larger production areas.
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BibTeX
@article{gibert2026control,
title = {{Control of black leaf streak disease without mancozeb in commercial plantations of Colombia}},
author = {Simon Gibert and Romain Alcrudo and Annaig Blouin and Richard Andrade and Ferney Cruz and Antonio Gonzales and Ines Dupouy and Denis Ravanas and Philippe Pons and Luc de Lapeyre},
journal = {Acorbat Revista de Tecnología y Ciencia/Acorbat Journal of Technology and Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.62498/artc.26106},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05796358v1},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Control of black leaf streak disease without mancozeb in commercial plantations of Colombia
AU - Simon Gibert
AU - Romain Alcrudo
AU - Annaig Blouin
AU - Richard Andrade
AU - Ferney Cruz
AU - Antonio Gonzales
AU - Ines Dupouy
AU - Denis Ravanas
AU - Philippe Pons
AU - Luc de Lapeyre
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - Acorbat Revista de Tecnología y Ciencia/Acorbat Journal of Technology and Science
DO - 10.62498/artc.26106
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05796358v1
AB - Black Leaf Streak Disease (BLSD) is the main pathogenic constraint for Cavendish banana production systems intended for export. Conventional control strategies of this damaging disease largely rely on weekly applications of mancozeb, often combined with curative fungicides that frequently lost effectiveness due to the emergence of fungal resistance driven by their intensive use. Such strategies are no longer considered sustainable due to technical, environmental, economic, and regulatory reasons. Indeed, mancozeb has been banned in the European Union (EU) since 2021, and additional restrictions on dithiocarbamates are expected under the European Green Deal. Here, we conducted a one-year evaluation of an alternative control strategy in a commercial plantation of Colombia, characterized by a humid tropical climate with a distinct dry season. This strategy is based on a biological forecasting system that supports rational treatment decisions through weekly monitoring of epidemiological and climatic parameters. It excludes mancozeb and other active substances not approved in the EU and promotes the use of mineral oil and SBI group 2 fungicides. Results showed that this forecasting-based strategy achieved disease control comparable to the conventional program used in an adjacent plantation. The Treatment Frequency Index was reduced by 60%, the amount of active ingredients applied by 78%, and the use of non-EU-approved substances by 89%. Treatment costs were reduced by 36%, while disease pressure, fruit quality, and yield were maintained. These promising results support scaling up this approach to larger production areas.
SN - 3061-7073
ER -