Present and future action against Fusarium wilt of tropical musaceae, race 4

Live Broadcast

Background

Hundreds of thousands of families in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on the banana and plantain agroindustry for their livelihoods, which are an important part of their food security. These crops are also important to the economies of many countries in the region, which produces 25% of the world's bananas and plantains and generates 60% of banana shipments to world markets.

Fusarium wilt race 4 tropical (FocR4T) is one of the most devastating pests of musaceae. Since its registration in Colombia in mid-2019 and subsequently in Peru in 2021, the likelihood of introduction in other countries in the region has increased.

In this context, this webinar is organized to address the need to strengthen the capacity of countries to deal with this serious threat.

This webinar will provide an update on the current status of Fusarium wilt of Musaceae, tropical race 4. The event will cover several topics, including: soil biodiversity as an ally to combat pests and diseases; the importance of risk analysis; response plans, protocols and procedures; and the new biosecurity standard for FocR4T.

The event will also feature the Community of Practice on Fusarium in Musaceae which aims to foster knowledge dissemination, information sharing and collaboration among professionals; disseminate information on events and other related opportunities; and support countries to develop regional and national action plans, increasing their capacities, as well as to raise awareness and disseminate information among farming communities.

Attendees

It is expected that there will be a wide participation of professionals from the agricultural sector from countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, as well as different actors from research institutes, members of the fusarium community of practice, producer associations and regional or global networks.

Presentations	Panelists
Presentation of the Community of Practice	Javiera Suárez Specialist on sustainable production, FAO
Soil biodiversity: an ally to fight diseases and pests in Musaceae	Martha Bolaños Soil Management-Conservation Expert, AGROSAVIA
Importance of risk analysis (steps)	Nancy Villegas Jiménez Regional Risk Analysis Coordinator, OIRSA
Response plans, protocols and procedures	Martin Rosales Head of Phytosanitary Vigilance and Campaigns of the Plant Health and Seed Directorate, IPSA
New biosafety standard for FocR4T	Leonardo Ferrer Technical Key Account Manager Colombia and Panama,GLOBALG.A.P.