Thought this was pretty good but not right for the front page.
Edible bananas may disappear within the next few years if action is not taken to develop new variants which are resistant to blight. It seems that various diseases and pests are slowly encroaching on crops across the globe.
The main problem is that the banana that we eat is seedless. Due to its sterility this beloved frout could slip the way of its predecessor which was wiped out by blight almost 50 years ago.
The proposed solution is to use Genetic Modification, but this puts it under much public scrutiny due to GM concerns.
The current variant of the banana that is consumed across the world is the Cavendish banana, but this tyoe lacks any genetic diversity. For this reason it is now under threat from:
Projects are now underway to Genetically Sequence the Banana within 5 years. These projects will focus mainly on the inedible varieties as these appear to be resistant to Black Sigatoka. Unfortunately many of the large producers are hesitant to support these projects fearing public consumers will not accept a GM Banana though it may soon be the only option if one wanted to have a banana.
This was found at the BBC Sci/Tech New site.
Edible bananas may disappear within the next few years if action is not taken to develop new variants which are resistant to blight. It seems that various diseases and pests are slowly encroaching on crops across the globe.
The main problem is that the banana that we eat is seedless. Due to its sterility this beloved frout could slip the way of its predecessor which was wiped out by blight almost 50 years ago.
The proposed solution is to use Genetic Modification, but this puts it under much public scrutiny due to GM concerns.
The current variant of the banana that is consumed across the world is the Cavendish banana, but this tyoe lacks any genetic diversity. For this reason it is now under threat from:
- Panama Disease a soil fungus (wiped out the Gros Michel variety in the 1950s)
- Black Sigatoka, also a fungal disease which is now reaching woldwide epidemic proportions
- Pests - Many are invading plantations in Central America, Africa and Asia
Projects are now underway to Genetically Sequence the Banana within 5 years. These projects will focus mainly on the inedible varieties as these appear to be resistant to Black Sigatoka. Unfortunately many of the large producers are hesitant to support these projects fearing public consumers will not accept a GM Banana though it may soon be the only option if one wanted to have a banana.
This was found at the BBC Sci/Tech New site.