A team of scientists led by Wageningen University & Research Centre scientist Gert Kema confirmed the presence of tropical race 4 — the fungal strain that causes Fusarium wilt in Cavendish bananas — in Pakistan and Lebanon. In an interview to Fresh Fruit Portal, Kema said that the infested area is more than 100 hectares in Pakistan, compared to a few hectares in Lebanon.
The first disease report is published in Plant Disease.