# Black sigatoka

By [lauren0w3](https://paragraph.com/@lauren0w3) · 2021-10-29

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[Black sigatoka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_sigatoka) is a fungal leaf spot disease first observed in Fiji in 1963 or 1964. Black Sigatoka (also known as black leaf streak) has spread to banana plantations throughout the tropics from infected banana leaves that were used as packing material. It affects all main cultivars of bananas and plantains (including the Cavendish cultivars[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-Holmes-76)), impeding [photosynthesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis) by blackening parts of the leaves, eventually killing the entire leaf. Starved for energy, fruit production falls by 50% or more, and the bananas that do grow [ripen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripening) prematurely, making them unsuitable for export. The fungus has shown ever-increasing resistance to treatment, with the current expense for treating 1 hectare (2.5 acres) exceeding US$1,000 per year. In addition to the expense, there is the question of how long intensive spraying can be environmentally justified.

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*Originally published on [lauren0w3](https://paragraph.com/@lauren0w3/black-sigatoka)*