I don't think it really handles the cool and dry weather very well as it is not much of a problem in the dry/cool season. It definitely needs vegetative tissue to reproduce, but I'm not sure if it could overwinter as spores in leaf trash. My backyard seems to be an uncontrollable hotspot of black sigatoka mostly because my neighbor does nothing to control it in her banana patch and every storm that comes through blows spores on me. It is mainly a cavendish problem, and I think the reason I have it is because the bananas were planted by a previous owner from a nursery in Miami. We have cavendish bananas at the research station about 15 miles southeast of my house and they have never shown signs of sigatoka.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyMacLuckie
Nicolas, there is Black Sigatoka is in FL. What is known about it in terms of, well, can it stand cool or cold temperatures? As in, if it was to make its way to SE Louisiana what do you - or anyone - think would or could happen? There are a lot of banana plants in SE Louisiana, most of them just as part of the landscape but I know some people who grow them for the fruit as well.
Found this, which is interesting:
APSnet Feature - Black Sigatoka of Banana - Disease Note |