Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Students Investigate Anthracnose in Bananas
Students of Dr. Ishaq Al-Jabri (Al-Hawari Al-Azdi School, Oman) partook in a series of experiments to see what was causing Anthracnose in bananas and how to prevent it. Students Hammam Bin Isa Al-Busaidi, Al-Huwari Bin alfan Al-BadawiKh, and Zakaria Bin Salem al-Busaidi used GLOBE's Soil, Vegetation, and Water Protocols to conduct this research.
The students first asked themselves questions:
- What are the causes of anthracnose?
- What are the symptoms of this disease on banana?
- What are the ways to prevent this disease?
They then experimented with two plants: one infected with anthracnose and one healthy plant. The students studied the etiology of anthracnose in the bananas, studied the symptoms it showed of being infected, and thought of ways to prevent the disease.
Through these experiments, the students concluded that the soil-lined temperatures, acidity and soil sample characteristics taken are almost identical to each other, although samples from the ocean-adjacent trees are infected and the other (not near the ocean) is healthy. Vastly different percentages of soil salinity and season seem to show what plants will likely become infected with the fungus. Increasing the soil salinity, using insecticides, and using organic fertilizers help strengthen the plant and its immunity.
Images courtesy Dr. Ishaq Al-Jabri, GLOBE Oman.