First report of black Sigatoka disease in banana caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis on Reunion Island

Abastract

Pseudocercospora fijiensis, the causal agent of black Sigatoka disease of banana (Musa spp.) (BLSD), is considered to be the major economic threat for banana cultivated for export (de Lapeyre de Bellaire et al., 2010). The disease has a worldwide distribution throughout the humid tropical regions and has been previously reported in the southwest Indian Ocean area: in 1993 in Mayotte and Comoros islands (Jones & Mourichon, 1993), in Mauritius in 1996 (Soomary & Benimadhu, 1997) and in Madagascar in 2000 (Jones, 2003)...