The potential of different parts of banana bacterial wilt infected
banana plants to transmit the wilt bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris
pv. musacearum (Xcm) was investigated. Banana parts (fresh leaves,
dry leaves, fresh pseudostem sheath, fruit peelings and corms) picked
form diseased plants were used to inoculate the test plantlets. Prior
to inoculation, banana wilt bacterium was isolated from these parts,
quantified and confirmed through pathogenicity tests on healthy banana
potted plantlets. Inoculation with banana parts was then done by
placing infected parts into contact with wounded healthy banana
pantlets. Fresh plant parts contained more bacterial cells than dry
leaves. This isolated bacteria induced disease symptoms often
associated with Xanthomonas campestris pv musacearum infection.
Inoculation results showed that some parts (mainly the fresh banana
parts) were able to cause infection to healthy potted banana plantlets
only after wounding the test plant roots. Even then, the disease
incidence was low (5-20%). Therefore, practices and activities that
involve movement of fresh banana parts some of which could be from
infected banana plants should be discouraged as it has been shown that
these parts can carry viable and pathogenic bacteria
