- In collaboration with the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), the Foc R4T was discussed, a fungus found in the soil that has the potential to seriously affect the banana and plantain industry.
- Establishing good management and production practices is the purpose of training scenarios with small producers.
In a joint initiative, the Manizales Department of Agriculture and the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) conducted a training course for small producers of musaceae, specifically bananas and plantains. The event focused on updating and strengthening technical knowledge among local farmers, with the aim of improving the quality and sustainability of their crops.
During the training, topics of current importance were addressed, such as the threat of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Race 4 Tropical (Foc R4T), a fungus that causes serious damage to plantain and banana crops nationwide. The experts explained the characteristics of this pathogen, its mode of spread and the control measures necessary to mitigate its impact.
In addition, prevention practices and integrated management of pests and diseases, techniques for improving fertilization and soil management, and strategies to optimize fruit production and quality were discussed. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the importance of biosecurity on their farms and the specific actions they should implement to protect crops from possible infections.
ICA agricultural engineer, Luisa Fernanda Pineda, said: “These spaces are very important because we have gathered a large number of producers where musaceae, plantain and banana are part of their economy, so it is important that they know what they are going to treat, that they learn to recognize the disease they have in their crop, that they know what they are dealing with, what they are going to handle and know what product, what measures to apply.”
The Ministry of Agriculture invites all interested producers to stay informed about future training and support programs, which will continue to be promoted to improve the competitiveness and resilience of the local agricultural sector.
