Still Waters Posted July 5, 2018 #1 Share Posted July 5, 2018 A wild banana that may hold the key to protecting the world's edible banana crop has been put on the extinction list. It is found only in Madagascar, where there are just five mature trees left in the wild. Scientists say the plant needs to be conserved, as it may hold the secret to keeping bananas safe for the future. Most bananas consumed around the world are of a type known as the Cavendish, which is vulnerable to a plant pest. The race is on to develop new banana varieties that are both tasty to eat and resilient enough to survive attack from Panama disease. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44712034 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozfactor Posted July 8, 2018 #2 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Wouldn't it be dreadful if banana's were wiped out and all we had was banana lollies . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFOwatcher Posted July 8, 2018 #3 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Love bananananas but isn't that picture upside down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Hillbilly Posted July 8, 2018 #4 Share Posted July 8, 2018 No. That's the way bananas grow. The plant always reaches for the sun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibeliever Posted July 8, 2018 #5 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Lack of genetic diversity. Didn't that contribute heavily to the potato blight in the 1840's also? It's a nice luxury to have access to bananas in this part of the world and t would suck if they disappeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the frog Posted July 8, 2018 #6 Share Posted July 8, 2018 (edited) The biggest problem is : ''Cavendish which now accounts for 99.99% of bananas sold globally'' Yes a disease can destroy big monoculture of one cultivar but a lot of differents cultivar exist. Eaten some Gros Michel bananas two years ago, it was the cultivar that got wiped out in monoculture in the fifties. The variety is still growing and used in latin america but not in giant industrial field. It was replaced by the Cavendish brand in monoculture to lay the table for another devastation. When you put all the eggs in the same basket the story just repeat itself. Lame. The industry can suffer but banana will continue to grow. Edited July 8, 2018 by Jon the frog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nzo Posted July 9, 2018 #7 Share Posted July 9, 2018 This story comes out like clockwork ever few years. Supposedly bananas have been going extinct for decades now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperdyer Posted July 9, 2018 #8 Share Posted July 9, 2018 21 hours ago, Calibeliever said: Lack of genetic diversity. Didn't that contribute heavily to the potato blight in the 1840's also? It's a nice luxury to have access to bananas in this part of the world and t would suck if they disappeared. Just think of all of the hungry chimps and other apes. Their favorite food - GONE! Banana must be saved! What? We can't genetically help the bananas? GMO's are bad for us? But it's bananas! Great source of potassium and other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFOwatcher Posted July 10, 2018 #9 Share Posted July 10, 2018 After researching more I see I was wrong about the picture upside down. The picture is correct, I was wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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