Banana varietal susceptibility to black sigatoka in the climatic conditions of New Caledonia

Feasibility of curative chemical sprays is effecive only in somewhat intensive cultivation, uncommon in New Caledonia. An assessment of the banana varietal susceptibility is in progress, in order to offer the farmers some cultivars showing resistant reactions to this disease. This work takes in account sweet bananas as well as cooking bananas, both types being locally consumed. The first results show that Yangambi Km5 (AAA) and Mysore (AAB) are promising in the dessert banana type, and some cultivars of the Popo'ulu sub-group (AAB) in the cooking bananas. Some other cultivars, still under observation, will extend the range available. Some cultivars show atypic susceptibility, like Pisang Mas (AA), which is very sensitive in these conditions. The Popo'ulu sub-group seems to present great interest as female parents in the breeding programs of CIRAD in the French West Indies. (Résumé d'auteur