Bananas under threat (2024)

FAQs

What is the threat to bananas? ›

Although this may sound remarkably like Covid-19, I am actually talking about Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a disease that affects bananas. Also known as Panama Disease, it is a fungus that has been rampaging through banana farms for the past 30 years.

But the Cavendish is under threat from a fungus that infects the plant. The infection is called Panama Disease (Fusarium wilt) tropical race 4. TR4 infection starts in the banana tree's roots and then spreads, ultimately disabling the plant's ability to absorb water or conduct photosynthesis.

A fungicide-resistant pathogen that originated in Central America managed to spread through most of the world's banana crops in a matter of years, wiping them out everywhere but in certain parts of Thailand.

It spread through the Caribbean and beyond. This variety used to be grown commercially but now is extremely rare and difficult to find.

It's been a strange start to 2024 for bananas. “Globally, at least in the Americas, there's less supply of bananas overall,” says Andy Thomas-Stivalet of Kadivac Produce, adding that it's a combination of a few factors. The first one is the effects of the weather.

Bananas also account for a huge amount of water use and contamination. Since they require a constant level of moisture—neither too much nor too little—banana fields are interlaced with channels for irrigation and drainage, vastly increasing soil erosion.

Panama disease is a fungal infection caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense that infects Cavendish bananas through its root system, resulting in plant rot and death.

Like the prisoners in Plato's allegory of the cave, most Americans are unaware that today's yellow banana is like a shadow of the one that preceded it—a yellow banana with a sweeter flavor, firmer texture, and better culinary versatility was once the norm.

Another option is creating a genetically modified banana using emerging CRISPR gene editing technology. Genetic engineers could rewrite the Cavendish's genetic code to resist specific diseases and pests. Researchers in the United States and in the Netherlands are trying the opposite, as well.

Botanically speaking, a banana is both a berry and a fruit. (Remember, if it's a berry, it's also a fruit by default.) Here's the deal: The banana flower contains one ovary, which grows into a single banana. The banana also has a somewhat soft skin, juicy flesh, and many tiny seeds.

Do real bananas still exist? ›

As a non-seasonal crop, bananas are available fresh year-round. They are grown in some 135 countries.

Every banana you buy in the store is a Cavendish, genetically identical to every other Cavendish out there. That's not uncommon… navel oranges are also clones, for example.

One of the reasons why Chiquita is known as the world's best banana brand is because of our laser-like focus on providing the highest quality products for our consumers. Our team – the employees behind our sticker – is truly what makes our products so special.

It tastes very much like artificial banana flavor, but the best version ever. - they're growing Gros Michel and many others. It was a delicious banana, but not straight-up Banana Laffy-Taffy. SO much better than Cavendish, and so are our common local apple bananas (which don't taste super appley to me).

The rarest banana is said to be the “Blue Java” banana, also known as the “Ice Cream” banana. This unique banana variety is notable for its blue-green color when unripe and its sweet, creamy texture and flavor when ripe, reminiscent of vanilla ice cream.

In short, Panama TR4 is one of the greatest threats to worldwide banana production. But here in Queensland, where over 95 percent of Australian bananas are grown, the disease has, so far, been successfully contained to just three farms.

TR4's soil-borne fungus attacks banana trees from the roots. It slowly colonizes the lower extremities of the plant and blocks the xylem (vessels used by the tree to channel water and nutrients), leading to a slow death by choking.

A fungal disease, called Panama disease Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was first detected in 1990 in Taiwan and has spread to more than 20 banana-producing countries – including those in Central and South America, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Panama disease is a fungal infection caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense that infects Cavendish bananas through its root system, resulting in plant rot and death. The disease is spreading and it is predicted that within the near future, the most widely consumed banana will become extinct.