Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Banana Bacterial Wilt Resistance Screening

Banana is greatly affected by a bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm), that causes banana bacterial wilt.1 It is reported to be the most devastating disease in East and Central Africa causing 100% yield loss.2 The infection results into wilting and yellowing of youngest leaves or the male buds, premature ripening of fruits, internal vascular bundle discoloration mainly in the pseudo stem producing a yellow discharge “ooze”, preventing fruit formation and resulting into complete death for susceptible banana cultivars.3 The banana breeding program not only aims at developing hybrid banana varieties with higher Yields but also with more resistance to pests and diseases. Hence, screening for Xvm resistance among banana genotypes is of paramount importance to develop a resistant germplasm that can be used in breeding program to transfer resistance into new Banana varieties.