Above: a banana plant (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominica is continuing its efforts to prevent the spread of the Black Sigatoka disease, which targets banana plants.

The fungal disease, which was confirmed to have reached the island last month, causes dark leaf spots that turn banana leaves yellow and brown.

Extension officers from Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture have recently begun visiting farms on the island to educate farmers about how to identify and manage the disease, which has been appearing in several Caribbean islands of late, most notably St Lucia.

Dominica’s government is urging farmers to destroy plants damaged by the disease, along with removing diseased leaves and pruning branches to improve air circulation.