Four rates on cleared, verified infected ground, monitored for nine months by a government agronomist. Every plant in the untreated control died.
Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 1 has caused widespread losses on banana farms. This trial ran on a 50 hectare sugar banana farm at Ban Thong Mang in Xaythany District, verified as TR1-affected throughout, in co-operation with the Lao PDR Department of Agriculture.
Agronomist: Khonesavanh Chittarhat, Plant Protection Centre.
The trial area was cleared of infected plants, contoured and fenced. Disease-free Pak Song seedlings were planted at 2 m spacing, rows 2 m apart. The area was divided into four equal parts:
| Treatment | Rate |
|---|---|
| T1 | 3 tonnes/ha |
| T2 | 2 tonnes/ha |
| T3 | 1 tonne/ha |
| T4 | Control — none |
Ordinary commercial practice throughout. NPK 15:15:15 applied monthly at 150 g per plant on every lot. The Department of Agriculture and Plant Protection Centre collected the data — pests, diseases, stem and leaf growth, and typical TR1 indicators.
Height (cm) and stem circumference (cm), recorded monthly:
| Month | T1 — 3 t/ha | T2 — 2 t/ha | T3 — 1 t/ha | T4 — control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36.4 / 14.1 | 31.6 / 14.1 | 29.1 / 12.7 | 27.4 / 11.4 |
| 2 | 98.4 / 26.6 | 72.5 / 21.1 | 94.5 / 26.6 | — |
| 3 | 140.0 / 40.1 | 137.3 / 38.8 | 136.9 / 38.4 | — |
| 5 | 176.3 / 55.8 | 164.5 / 53.0 | 170.0 / 56.9 | — |
| 9 | 187.0 / 50.0 | 177.0 / 48.7 | 176.0 / 50.0 | — |
Height / circumference. The control column ends at month one because all plants had died.
Plants in T1, T2 and T3 showed no signs of TR1 through the trial. Black spot and yellow sigatoka were both noted — the trial did not make those go away.
All plants in the untreated control lot died.
T1, at 3 tonnes per hectare, gave the strongest growth and plant health.
This records what a government agronomist observed on four lots over nine months: growth measurements, and the presence or absence of typical TR1 indicators. The Black Stuff is a soil conditioner, not a fungicide, and is not registered as an agricultural chemical product.
The trial was concluded early in March 2020 by the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, so it did not run to harvest. Black spot and yellow sigatoka were present on treated lots throughout.
Sugar banana TR1, Lao PDR 2019–2020 · 7 pp. The Black Stuff is a soil conditioner and is not a registered agricultural chemical product. Nothing in this report is a claim that it controls, prevents or treats any plant disease.
Location — Ban Thong Mang, Xaythany District
Crop — sugar banana, Pak Song cultivar
Farm — 50 ha, verified TR1 affected
Soil — sandy loam, pH 4.5
Rainfall — 2,200 mm annual
Spacing — 2 m × 2 m
Nutrition — NPK 15:15:15, 150 g/plant monthly, all lots
Agronomist — Khonesavanh Chittarhat, PPC
Duration — 9 months, ended March 2020
