Australian Banana Growers’ Council represents the biosecurity interests of banana producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:
- biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
- liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
- funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
- participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.
Industry overview
Bananas are grown commercially in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. There are currently about 13,000 hectares of bananas grown in Australia; 94 per cent of which are located in four north Queensland growing regions: Tully, Innisfail, Lakeland and the Atherton Tablelands.
Bananas are grown all year round with the two main varieties being Cavendish and Lady Finger. The Cavendish variety accounts for 95 per cent of production.
Biosecurity plans, manuals and resources
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Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for the banana industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs. Planning identifies procedures that can be put in place to reduce the chance of pests reaching our borders or minimise the impact if a pest incursion occurs.
The Biosecurity Plan for the Banana Industry outlines key threats to the industry, risk mitigation plans, identification and categorisation of exotic pests and contingency plans. For a copy, please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au
The Exotic Pest Identification and Surveillance Guide for Tropical Horticulture was developed with funding from the Australia Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Inspecting crops for signs of new pests is one way growers can protect Australia’s plant industries from exotic pests, as early detection and reporting improves the chances of successfully containing or eradicating new pests. The guide is in two sections:
• Biosecurity and surveillance
• Identification of key exotic pests.
Banana Best Management Practices: On-farm Biosecurity
The Banana Best Management Practices: On-farm Biosecurity manual (2017) was designed to help growers implement biosecurity practices. It was developed by the Australian Banana Growers Council and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, with funding from the Hort Innovation Banana Fund project Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 - Biosecurity and Sustainable Solutions (BA14013).
More information about on-farm biosecurity for both plant and livestock producers is available from the Farm Biosecurity website.
Promotional item to support the exotic plant pest hotline 1800 084 881. For printed copies of this material, please contact PHA.
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Exotic pests (not in Australia)
The following is a list of high priority exotic pests of bananas. These pests were identified during the development of the Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Banana Industry in consultation with industry, government and scientists. They have been assessed as high priority pests based on their potential to enter, establish, and spread in Australia (eg environmental factors, host range, vectors) and the cost to industry of control measures.
PHA has a range of fact sheets, contingency plans and diagnostic protocols relevant to these pests. Pest risk review documents are also available for some pests. Please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au for more information.
Endorsed National Diagnostic Protocols are available from the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network webpage.
Common name | Scientific name | EPPRD Category | Fact sheet | Contingency plan | Diagnostic protocol |
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Abaca bunchy top virus | Abaca bunchy top virus (Babuvirus) | ||||
Banana bunchy top disease | Banana bunchy top virus (Asian subgroup) (Babuvirus) | FS | |||
Banana freckle | Phyllosticta. spp including P. cavendishii, P. musarum and P. musaechinensis (Phyllosticta maculata is an established pest in parts of Australia and also causes banana freckle but is not found in commercially grown bananas). The Phyllosticta genus was previously referred to as Guignardia. | 3 | FS | ||
Banana skipper butterfly | Erionota thrax | 4 | FS | ||
Banana spider mite | Tetranychus piercei | 4 | FS FS | ||
Black sigatoka | Pseudocercospora fijiensis | 2 | FS | ||
Blood disease | Ralstonia syzygii subsp. celebesensis | 2 | FS | ||
Eumusae leaf spot | Mycosphaerella eumusae | FS | |||
Giant African snails | Achatina fulica and Achatina achatina | FSFS | CP | ||
Grey pineapple mealybug | Dysmicoccus neobrevipes | FS | |||
Jack Beardsley mealybug | Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi | ||||
Mango mealybug | Rastrococcus spinosus and R. invadens | ||||
Moko (bacterial wilt) | Ralstonia solanacearum phylotype IIB (banana infecting strains) | 2 | FS | ||
Oriental fruit fly | Bactrocera dorsalis | 2 | FS FS FS FS FS FS FS | DP DP | |
Panama disease | Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (exotic vegetative compatibility groups) | FS | DP | ||
Thrips | Frankliniella invasor |
Other pests
The following is a list of documents for other exotic and endemic pests of the banana industry. Please note that this is not a complete list of pests: rather it includes pests for which documents exist in the Pest Information Document Database.
Some of the documents presented here are not tailored to the banana industry and are included for information only.
Common name | Scientific name | EPPRD Category | Fact sheet | Contingency plan | Diagnostic protocol |
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Bacterial wilt | Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum | FS | |||
Bakanae | Gibberella fujikuroi | CP | |||
Banana bract mosaic disease | Banana bract mosaic virus (Potyvirus) | 3 | FS | ||
Banana Xanthomonas wilt | Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum | FS | |||
Blue-striped nettle grub | Parasa lepida | FS | |||
Carambola fruit fly | Bactrocera carambolae | FS FS FS FS | DP | ||
False codling moth | Thaumatotibia leucotreta syn Cryptophlebia leucotreta | 2 | FS | CP | |
Fruit fly (Bactrocera occipitalis) | Bactrocera occipitalis | FS | DP | ||
Grey pineapple mealybug | Dysmicoccus neobrevipes | FS | |||
Oriental fruit fly | Bactrocera dorsalis | 2 | FS FS FS FS FS FS FS | DP | |
Panama disease | Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (exotic vegetative compatibility groups) | FS | |||
Panicle blight | Burkholderia glumae | CP | |||
Queensland fruit fly | Bactrocera tryoni | FS | DP | ||
Strawberry spider mite | Tetranychus turkestani | FS | |||
Yellow sigatoka | Mycosphaerella musicola |
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