Media Release

Northern Territory Government

Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade

Banana freckle update October 2022

31 October 2022

Banana freckle has been detected at a commercial property in Marrakai following routine surveillance undertaken by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade.

Symptoms were detected on a range of banana plants at the property, and diagnostic results have confirmed the presence of banana freckle.

This is the second commercial property that has had banana freckle detected on its premises, following initial detection in the Rum Jungle region in May this year. There have been 48 total Banana Freckle detections since May, 42 of which have been in the Batchelor and Rum Jungle region. The latest detection triggers a review of the national response plan.

A response plan to eradicate Banana Freckle was approved last month.

Banana freckle is a fungal disease of banana leaves and fruit. There is no risk to human health from eating affected bananas.

Biosecurity Northern Territory is continuing surveillance across the Top End in an effort to determine how far banana freckle has spread.

Members of the biosecurity team will continue to work with industry, growers and the public to limit the impacts of the disease and to protect Northern Territory grown bananas.

Banana freckle is a 'wet spore' organism. It generally moves short distances by water droplet splashes and wind-driven rain. The pest is spread over larger distances by people moving infected fruit, leaves and suckers used for planting.

Banana freckle causes spotting on banana leaves and fruit. The signs include:

A sandpaper-like texture on leaves and fruit. This is caused by the pest sticking up through the surface of the leaf or skin.Spotting may extend to the flower bracts, leaf midrib and bunch stalks.Fruit are infected, causing blemishes. This increases as the fruit matures.Large areas of the fruit’s surface may become black due to dense spotting.

Biosecurity officers inspecting properties continue to follow strict biosecurity decontamination protocols when entering and exiting any premises to prevent the risk of spreading the disease.

More information about the signs of the disease is available online: [https://nt.gov.au/banana-freckle]. If you are unsure whether you have banana freckle, contact the plant biosecurity team on 1800 084 881 [tel:1800084881].

Please check your plants and email [plantbiosecurity@nt.gov.au]

Quotes attributable to the Northern Territory’s Chief Plant Health Officer, Dr Anne Walters

“Staff from the department’s biosecurity team will continue to collect as much information as possible. Through continued surveillance we will have a better picture of where banana freckle is and to try and establish how far the disease has spread.

“Surveillance is an important part of our efforts to protect the Northern Territory’s banana industry.

“We urge anyone who has a banana plant to contact the hotline. A healthy plant provides an important piece of information for our team.”

ENDS.

Media contact: 0401 119 746

Unsubscribe https://ntgovernmentagencies.createsend1.com/t/t-u-akldthl-l-y/