Current status of molecular diagnostic methods of TR4

Current status of molecular diagnostic methods of TR4

As keynote speaker Gert Kema took part in the 1st Global Fusarium Tropical Race 4 meeting themed “Threats and opportunities’. He talked about the current status of molecular diagnostic methods of TR4 and in particular whether Wageningen University & Research (WUR) can be an international diagnostic center.

During the meeting he explained that diagnostics should always be one step ahead of biological diversity, which he underpinned by recent reports of inaccurate detection of TR4 and how this was tackled by a recently published new TR4 diagnostic based on new specific genomic positions, derived from a genomic database that was developed over the last couple of years.

Read more in this article.

He showed that WUR has always been at the forefront of innovative detection methods and that since TR4 surfaced for the first time outside South East Asia, which was published in 2014, the number of positive cases has rapidly increased, which can be contributed to the rapid new TR4 diagnostic that was published in 2010. Hence, WUR is ready and capable to serve the community as a diagnostic center. He finished his contribution by indicating that the sector needs disruptive change in TR4 prevention, banana breeding and overall R&D.

Gert Kema’s keynote speech was held at the 1st Global Fusarium Tropical Race 4 meeting in Miami, USA, on November 22, 2019, which was organized by CORBANA.

Back to News page

Banana research at the International Congress of Plant Pathology

During the International Congress of Plant Pathology, ICPP, in Boston this summer, the banana research community will be organising two events.

 

  • The first meeting is a satellite meeting on Saturday July 28 titled “Fusarium wilt disease of banana: recurrence of a global menace”.
    See the program (click here) .

 

  • On Monday July 30 a workshop will be held titled “The Vulnerability of Banana to Globally Developing Disease Threats”.
    The program  (click here) has been drafted and will be finalized soon.

 

Back to News page

Wageningen scientists participate in Colombian Banana forum 2017

November 2017 Gert Kema and Fernando Garcia Bastidas gave a presentation at the III Colombian Banana forum 2017. About Sustainable Production: Challenges and Opportunities of the Colombian banana sector. The meeting was organised by the ASBAMA: Asociacion de Bananeros del Magdalena y la Guajira.

 

Meeting

Gert and Fernando were invited to the meeting to explain about their research in the region. The research of Wageningen University & Research and local partners aims to support the region to grow bananas sustainably in a challenging context. Gert and Fernando are also part of the panel that is known as: The future of bananas: risks and threats of destructive and lethal diseases.

 
Back to News page

Wageningen Banana day

On November 18, the Wageningen Banana Day (WBD) will be organized. Professor Emeritus Ivan Buddenhagen (UC-Davis, USA), one of world’s renowned banana scientists opens the event with a keynote lecture. After lunch, a walking tour is organized to the Wageningen UR greenhouses and the Food & Biobased Research banana transportation/ripening test facility. At 3:00 pm a Mini-Symposium with various speakers will focus on the challenges in the global banana production.

Please join this exciting event addressing a global crop with global problems! You can join the whole day or attend a part of the program. More information and registration

 

Back to News page