Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2013
Abstract – Introduction. The susceptibility of banana fruit to crown rot andanthracnose, the two main banana post-harvest diseases, is influenced by many pre-harvestabiotic factors. Mycosphaerella leaf spot diseases (MLSD) of bananas arebiotic pre-harvest factors, which have an influence on fruit physiology. The fruit’ssusceptibility to post-harvest diseases may also be influenced by foliar diseases causedby M. fijiensis, responsible for black leaf streak disease (BLSD), andM. musicola, which causes sigatoka disease (SD). The aim of our studywas to determine the influence of these biotic pre-harvest factors on banana fruit’ssusceptibility to crown rot and anthracnose. Materials and methods. A diseaseseverity gradient was established in two experimental fields (Cameroon for BLSD andGuadeloupe for SD) where, at the flowering stage, six different levels of MLSD severitywere selected. Fruit susceptibility was determined through necrotic surface assessmentsafter artificial inoculation by Colletotrichum musae on the 3rd hand ofharvested bunches. Results and discussion. BLSD significantly influencedbanana sensitivity to crown rot (P < 0.001) but only had a slighteffect on the development of anthracnose ( P = 0.041). SD had no effect(P > 0.05) on banana susceptibility to either post-harvest disease.These results are discussed with emphasis on the influence of variations in thesource-sink ratio on fruit physiology. The influence of BLSD on crown rot disease suggeststhe need to take into account the management of these foliar diseases for an alternativecontrol method of post-harvest diseases through integrated pest management programs.