The Banana in Certral America II. the Control of Cercospora Leaf Disease

Abstract

THE leaf spot disease of bananas caused by Cercospora musce, Zimm., though widely distributed in the Indo-Malayan and Australian regions, was not recorded in the western tropics until 1934. During the brief period of two or three years from its first recognition in Trinidad1, it had appeared with epidemic intensity in. many of the Caribbean islands and on the mainland of Central and South America, and by its destructive effect on plantations showed itself to be a disease of first-class economic importance. In the Republic of Honduras, where successful control measures were eventually worked out, as described below, the disease was first definitely recognized towards the end of 1935, at which time the intensity of infections suggested a development period of perhaps twelve to eighteen months. The data available, unfortunately, throw little light on the question as to how this malady was introduced into the Caribbean or whether its spread took place from one or several centres of infection.