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AN iconic yellow fruit is at risk of disappearing as a fungal infection ravages the global market.
However, shoppers can make a simple change at the grocery store to do their part in bringing it back from the edge.
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You may not think much of the banana, but the popular fruit has undergone some changes over the past few decades.
The variety we know and love is called the Cavendish banana, with a mild taste and creamy flesh.
Despite its presence in nearly every supermarket, it hasn’t been the banana of choice forever.
The variety most commonly sold in the 1950s was the Gros Michel banana, originally from Southeast Asia.
The Gros Michel sported a thick, durable peel and grew in dense bunches, making it easy to ship.
However, it vanished from the international market after it was devastated by a soil-borne fungal infection.
The wipeout of the Gros Michel cultivar was caused by a specific type of fungus called Fusarium oxysporum race 1.
The organism kills plants by blocking their vascular system, which is analogous to human veins.
This prevents the movement of water and minerals, choking the plants from the inside out.
Biologists developed the Cavendish variety to replace the Gros Michel, believing it to be Fusarium-resistant.
However, another strain of fungus is putting the fruit in jeopardy once again.
The tropical race 4, or TR4, strain, has threatened banana production for years.
But scientists believe they have found a way to stop the infection in its tracks – and it starts at the cellular level.
The international banana trade is dominated by a single clone of the Cavendish, meaning genetic diversity is woefully low.
Genetic diversity is a staple of evolutionary biology and describes the variation in the genetic makeup of individuals within a species.
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If members of a population have identical genetic information, they will exhibit the same traits.
In the case of Cavendish bananas, identical genes make them equally susceptible to TR4.
Scientists have laid out a multi-pronged approach to tackle the problem.
Farmers can work with biologists to develop varieties that tolerate or resist TR4 – and research is already in the works.
A 2017 paper identified two lines of Cavendish that could fend off the disease. Both lines were genetically transformed, meaning DNA was transferred from other cells into their own.
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Shoppers themselves can make a simple change in the grocery store to help the global banana trade.
While the Cavendish dominates the international market, there are other varieties for sale – and buyers are encouraged to branch out and try them all.
If you’re looking for something sweet, apple bananas – popular in Asia and South America = are known for their sugary flavor.
A standout option is the Goldfinger, a variety of Cavendish developed collaboratively by growers and the Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research.
The United Fruit Company, now known as Chiquita, worked with the nonprofit to create a banana that could fight TR4.
Scientists say the variety is already showing signs of resistance to the fungus, so the Goldfinger will likely show up on more supermarket shelves in years to come.
The truth behind the banana apocalypse
Here’s what Mackenzie Tatananni, Science and Technology Reporter at The U.S. Sun, has to say:
Fusarium oxysporum showed up in the late 1800s and rapidly spread to banana plants across the globe.
The result was commonly known as Panama disease, so-called for the place where it first caused major damage.
The fungus moved north, causing losses in Honduras, Suriname, and Costa Rica throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The Cavendish was engineered in the 1960s. It cannot reproduce sexually, meaning bananas of this variety are clones.
Tropical race 4, or TR4, emerged roughly 50 years ago in Southeast Asia.
It has since been found in countries including Australia, India, Colombia, and Lebanon.
The global spread of TR4 made it a major problem for the international banana trade.
While scientists are working to develop resistant banana varities, it seems there will always be another strain of fungus to wreak havoc.
It is worth mentioning that the fungus, while devastating to banana plants, doesn’t make people sick.
However, it strips the plant of its ability to produce fruit as it meets a slow, agonizing death.
