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+--- Thread: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? (/showthread.php?tid=17748)
Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - terracore - 10-25-2016
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/25/health/banana-extinction/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool
Above article references the title of this post.
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - Lee M-S - 10-25-2016
Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I read it, monocropped Cavendish banana are at risk, not all bananas everywhere going extinct.
This would affect people who buy bananas at the supermarket, probably not home growers.
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RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - punaticbychoice - 10-25-2016
And the Cavendish bananas even at their best, are inferior to our local varieties, at least in my experience and opinion.
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - terracore - 10-26-2016
Agreed!
Though, with our bananas we're fighting the bunchy top virus.
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - Lee M-S - 10-27-2016
stupid bumchy top, we've got it, too.
and stupid flood control, had to type this twice.
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RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - ElysianWort - 10-28-2016
Worry not. There will be strong bananas to fight the diseases and live on. If the mainstream ones like the Cavendish die out, a new one will take it's place. I think this has already happened with bananas in the past.
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - Midnight Rambler - 10-29-2016
quote:Yep, the reason we have the Cavendish in the first place is that the previous dominant variety, the Gros Michel (which by all accounts tasted much better), was nearly wiped out in the 1950s by Panama disease. Most Hawaiian varieties are also susceptible to that, btw (including apple bananas).
Originally posted by ElysianWort
Worry not. There will be strong bananas to fight the diseases and live on. If the mainstream ones like the Cavendish die out, a new one will take it's place. I think this has already happened with bananas in the past.
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - robguz - 10-30-2016
It does impact far more than cavendish types and is considered potentially much more dire than race 1, which is in Hawaii. The bigger problem is that it is already in many places in the world where people depend on bananas for their immediate survival. There is also no reason to think that any of the extremely rare Hawaiian bananas would be immune to tropical race 4. Half of those have already gone extinct in the past century with our many existing banana diseases. It's very likely that all currently cultivated varieties in Hawaii can get bunchy top. Ultimately if we want to preserve the genetic diversity in existing cultivars it's going to mean keeping them going by inserting genes, likely from other bananas, that can allow them to survive bunchy top, various strains of Panama Disease, sigatoka, etc. Unfortunately scientific ignorance and fear is not only going to doom many cultivars, but also many people who will be impacted by either starvation or worse nutrition by relying on less healthy foods for their calories. As is, there are places in the world where average banana/plantain consumption is 4 or more pounds per day!
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - Kelena - 07-31-2019
Two of my banana plants that have been here since I bought the home now have bunchy top virus. I had a man bring them down. Am I supposed to notify someone? Turn myself in? Torch the patio?
RE: Can science stop the looming banana extinction? - rainyjim - 07-31-2019
If I recall you’re in HPP right?
It’s known to be in Puna already so no need call.
If any more shoots pop up from the same root mat that you had cut down they will also have BBTV. You can dig up the roots or you could drill a hole in the roots and squirt some systemic herbicide in to kill it - anything with 2,4-D as an ingredient should work.