8. Weeds, plant disease and Insects

8. Weeds, plant disease and Insects

Pigweed is an very aggressive and herbicide resistant weed that is rapidly moving through all of Brazil. It is an weed that easily produces 200.000 seeds that can be carried away by the wind. This resistant pigweed is an result of the zero tillage system. Because you don’t open the soil or anything is it really hard to get rid of all the weeds, and throughout the years this weed survived and developed.

In other parts of Brazil is the temperature a big problem. Back in the days before the real global warming temperatures dropped during the off season and then the weeds would be killed because of the cold. But now the temperatures don’t drop that rapidly and so the weeds survive.

Recently a new disease developed and is spreading worldwide. A leaf spot  disease that we know as black Sigatoka disease is an disease that we can only find on banana plants. It causes premature ripening, reduces significant leaf area and causes 50% yield loss. It is harder to control and is more wide spread then the already common yellow Sigatoka disease. To get rid of this disease is an very labour intensive job that requires constant attention. You have to keep remove all affected leaves, keep spraying the herbicides regularly and an adequate spacing between plants so that the disease can’t jump from one to the next. 

Leave affected by black Sigatoka