A Fungal Genomics Perspective on the Panama Disease Threat of Banana

Knowledge on population diversity is key to any potential disease management strategy. We have used overall Foc genotyping to investigate the current dissemination of the causal agent of Panama disease, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, and determined that - in spite of massive global diversity - just one clone threatens Cavendish bananas. This clone is also pathogenic on a wide variety of banana germplasm and hence discovering and deploying resistance is urgent. The latest data will be presented.