Bananas Face Extinction Threat Due To Fungus Outbreak, Scientists Scramble to Find Solution

The most widely consumed banana variety, Cavendish bananas are facing a critical threat from a destructive fungal infection known as Panama disease, specifically Tropical Race 4 (TR4). This disease, which originates in the roots and spreads throughout the plant, disrupts the plant’s ability to absorb water and conduct photosynthesis, ultimately leading to the death of the tree.

This issue has caught the attention of experts, including Dan Koeppel, author of “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World,” who expresses concern about the lack of a solution. Although some scientists are exploring genetic modifications to enhance the fruit’s disease resistance, an alternative perspective suggests that the key to addressing this problem may lie in transforming banana production practices. This transformation involves moving away from exclusively cultivating a single fruit variety.

TR4 was first identified in Taiwan in 1989 and has since spread to major banana-producing countries such as Australia, India, and China, as well as regions in the Middle East and Africa. More recently, it has emerged in South America, posing a significant threat to banana production in the region.

A lesson from history is the fate of the Gros Michel banana variety, which succumbed to TR4 infection in 1876 and became completely extinct by the 1950s. This led to the rise of the Cavendish banana as a replacement since it was immune to TR1.

Despite the dire situation, there is hope that the Cavendish banana will not suffer the same fate as Gros Michel. According to Professor James Dale, who leads the banana biotechnology program at Queensland University of Technology, the disease progresses slowly, providing at least a decade before the impact becomes severe.

Potential remedies for this crisis include the development of genetically engineered banana strains with resistance to TR4 and the practice of fruit grafting, a technique that involves transferring tissues between plants to confer specific attributes like disease resistance.