Join the International Conference on Banana Fusarium Wilt Disease in Africa to be held 30 May , 31 May and 1 June 2022 (13:00- 16:00 Central African Time (GMT +2)

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The virtual conference on banana Fusarium wilt in Africa, jointly organised by the FAO, Stellenbosch University and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with the financial support from the European Union, is intended to raise awarenes s about the importance of banana Fusarium wilt disease in Africa, and to update participants about recent developments related to Foc TR4 internationally. Two regional workshops will be held after the conference on 2nd and 3rd June 2022; the first to discuss the threat posed by Foc TR4 to countries in Southern Africa countries, and the second to deliberate its potential spread and impact in the rest of Africa and the Middle East.posed by Foc TR4 to countries in Southern Africa countries, and the second to deliberate its potential spread and impact in the rest of Africa and the Middle East.

AGENDA

DAY 1. Monday, 30 May 2022 | 13:00 –16:00 Central African Time (GMT +2)
Opening: Welcoming remarks (30 min)

13:00 –13:10 Southern African Development Community (SADC), Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources,
(FANR)
13:07 –13:15 Mr Eugene Cloete, Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies Stellenbosch University,
South Africa
13:15 –13:22 European Union, Head of Delegation
13:22 –13:30 Mr Jingyuan Xia, Director of Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO, Italy

Session 1: Overview on banana production and Fusarium wilt (45 min)
13:30 –13:45 Musa diversity and cropping systems in Africa, by Mr Eldad Karamura and Ms Deborah Karamura, Uganda
13:45 –14:00 Overview of banana Fusarium wilt in Africa, by Mr Altus Viljoen, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
14:00 –14:15 Vision and collective efforts of FAO, World Banana Forum (WBF) , the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the prevention and management of banana Fusarium wilt disease by Mr Fazil Dusunceli, FAO, Turkey

Session 2: Activities to manage banana Fusarium wilt internationally (90 min)
14:30 –14:45 Research and development in Australia on Fusarium wilt TR4, by Mr Tony Pattison, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia
14:45 –15:00 Managing Fusarium wilt TR4 in China, by Mr Yi Ganjun / Mr Li Chunyu, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,China
15:00 –15:15 Efforts in India to mitigate banana Fusarium wilt TR4, by Mr Raman Thangavelu and Ms Uma Subbaraya, National
Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), India
15:00 –15:15 Research in Colombia on Fusarium wilt, by Mr Gustavo Rodriques, Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation
(AGROSAVIA), Colombia
15:15 –15:30 Efforts to curb the Fusarium wilt TR4 epidemic in the Near East, by Mr Thaer Yaseen, FAO-RNE, Egypt
15:30 –16:00 Discussion

DAY 2. Tuesday, 31 May 2022 | 13:00 –16:15 Central African Time (GMT +2)
Session 3: Activities and actions to deal with banana Fusarium wilt in Africa (90 min)
13:00 –13:15 The occurrence and impact of banana Fusarium Wilt in southern Africa, by Mr Altus Viljoen, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

13:15 –13:30 Dealing with banana Fusarium wilt in East Africa, by Mr George Mahuku, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Uganda
13:30 –13:45 Fusarium wilt and banana production in West Africa, by Mr Yao Kolombia, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria
13:45 –14:00 Breeding bananas for Fusarium wilt resistance in Africa, by Mr Rony Swennen, International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA), Belgium
14:00 –14:30 Discussion

Session 4: Early detection and diagnostics (75 min)
14:45 –15:00 Incursions and early field detection of banana Fusarium wilt TR4, by Mr Miguel Dita, Alliance Bioversity – International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Colombia
15:00 –15:15 Surveillance and monitoring of Fusarium wilt TR4, by Mr Jamisse Amisse, Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique (IIAM), Mozambique
15:15 –15:30 Remote detection of banana Fusarium wilt: Prospects and Challenges, by Mr Michael Selvaraj, Alliance Bioversity – CIAT, Colombia
15:30 –15:45 Diagnostic tools for the identification of Foc strains, by Ms Diane Mostert, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
15:45 –16:00 Q&A session

DAY 3. Wednesday, 1 June 2022 | 13:00 –16:00 Central African Time (GMT +2)

Session 5: Prevention, biosecurity and containment (90 min)
13:00 –13:15 Efforts to prevent the spread of invasive pests in Southern Africa, by Mr Chiluba Mwape, Southern African Development Community (SADC), Key Expert on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Botswana

13:15 –13:30 Efforts to contain Foc TR4 in Mozambique, by Ms Antonia Vaz, Mozambique Ministry of Agriculture
13:30 –13:45 The detection and containment of Fusarium wilt TR4 in Mayotte Island, by Mr Loïc Larroche, French Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Forest, (DAAF), Mayotte Island
13:45 –14:00 Lessons learnt from the spread of Foc TR4 in Asia, by Mr Si‑Jun Zheng, Alliance Bioversity – International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), China
14:00 –14:15 Efforts to prevent the spread of Foc TR4 in Latin America, by Mr Luis Pocasangre, EARTH University, Costa Rica
14:15 –14:30 Biosecurity and containment of Foc TR4 in Australia, by Mr Stewart Lindsay (Queelnsland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry and Ms Rhiannon Evans (Biosecurity Queensland), Australia
14:30 –15:00 Discussion

Session 6: Concept strategy for Foc TR4 in Africa (75 min)
15:00 –15:15 Challenges faced in Africa, and a draft strategy to prevent and manage banana Fusarium wilt TR4 on the continent, by Mr Altus Viljoen, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
15:15 –16:00 Panel discussion on future actions for Africa, Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (Representatives of Stellenbosch
University (SU), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Alliance of Bioversity International and the
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), National Plant
Protection Organizations (NPPOs), grower organisations, FAO and AU), facilitated by Mr Mathew Abang, FAO-SFS, Harare
16:00 –16:10 Summary of the meeting, by Mr Fazil Dusunceli, FAO, Turkey
16:10 –16:15 Closing

Satellite session – DAY 4. Thursday, 2 June 2022 | 09:00-12:00 CAT
Regional satellite workshop on the threats and management of Fusarium wilt TR4 in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.

Satellite session – DAY 5. Friday, 3 June 2022 | 10:00-14:00 CAT
Regional satellite workshop on the threats and management of Fusarium wilt TR4 in North Africa and the Middle East.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]