A seasoned banana grower, Imdad Nizamani from Tando Allahyar’s Tando Soomro area, avoids visiting his banana orchard these days. Once, taking care of the crop was part of his routine.
His 400-acre banana orchard faces a serious issue: Fusarium Wilt (Panama Wilt, Tropical Race-4), which has so far devoured the banana crop on 100 acres of his sprawling orchard. Around 30 per cent of the remaining acreage also shows signs of disease.
In Sindh, Mr Nizamani is known for his agricultural practices, which involve applying modern methods to manage his mango and banana farms. “I avoid going into [banana] orchard because if I enter the area, my shoes will carry spores of the fungus from the infected part to the unaffected side of the orchard,” he says.
Four years ago, he had lost 100 acres in the Chambar area of the same district due to the same disease. His friend from neighbouring Mirpurkhas district, Karamullah Saand, also has a similar story of serious damage to the banan
Continue Reading on Dawn
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.