10 things to know about farming with Panama TR4

A positive diagnosis of Panama TR4 does not spell the end of a banana farm.  Four out of five infested properties in the Tully Valley are still commercially growing bananas, and business continues under a new normal.  Here’s ten things to know about farming with Panama TR4:

1.       Once a property has been confirmed to have the disease, it must operate under a Notice of presence of Panama disease tropical race 4, which is a legal document of requirements a grower must meet to contain the disease.  See a sample of this notice in the Grower Kit and the explainer factsheet ‘A full guide to the Notice’.

2.       Biosecurity officers will work with the grower to build their capacity to operate under the Notice until they can self-manage the requirements. See the factsheet ‘What to expect when Panama TR4 is detected on your property’.

3.       The entire property must have restricted access and particular signage to stop people from intentionally entering the property.  Beyond fences, barriers to enter the property could include creeks, rivers, or naturally high vegetation.  In some cases, a deep drain is sufficient.

4.       Infested properties are on a regular schedule of surveillance by biosecurity officers, who visit the farm every eight weeks.  See the factsheet ‘Surveillance for Panama TR4 2021-22’.

5.       Although banana production continues on four of the five infested properties, the disease continues to spread within these properties.  See the Panama TR4 FNQ situation dashboard on the home page of panamatr4protect.com.au.

6.       Each time a plant is confirmed to have Panama TR4, it must be destroyed, along with all other plants in its immediate vicinity.  This is called a ‘destruction zone’.  See section 12 of the Queensland Biosecurity Manual to learn more about destruction zones.

7.       The ‘destruction zone’ must be secured with urea and plastic to stop regrowth and fenced to stop any people or animals from entering the zone. The destruction zone stays in place until there are regulatory changes around disease management.

8.       Other crops and cattle can be grown on an infested property if a risk assessment by Biosecurity Queensland deems it possible to safely remove produce or animals from the property.  See the factsheet ‘Mixed farming on land with Panama TR4’.

9.       Farm vehicles and machinery from an infested property can come off the property, but only if they have been fully decontaminated and free of any soil or planting material. 

10.   Implementing on-farm biosecurity measures before contracting the disease helped all four properties meet the requirements of the Notice much faster than if they had no biosecurity.  Watch the video ‘Leahy’s Bananas shares how his farm is getting ready for Panama TR4’.

Learn more about farming with Panama TR4 by reading the Grower Kit or watch our videos.