A banana plantation in far north Queensland has been quarantined while Biosecurity Queensland investigates a suspected case of Panama disease.
Further urgent testing is being done at the farm in Tully, south of Cairns, to confirm the presence of the soil disease.
Panama disease is regarded as a serious threat to the banana industry as it attacks all types of banana plants, including the Cavendish variety.
The disease is found in soil, does not affect banana fruit and poses no health risk.
According to Biosecurity Queensland, the first symptoms are yellowing and dying of the leaf edges.
“These leaves can turn brown and dry out. The leaves later collapse until the plant has the appearance of a stump with a skirt of dead or dying leaves,” the agency’s website explains.
“Infected plants rarely fruit, and when they do they aren’t marketable.”
Biosecurity Queensland says Panama disease is easily transported on infected plant material, and can spread over short distances via root-to-root contact and through soil.