Is a Banana Apocalypse Near? Deadly Fungus Threatens to Wipe Out Bananas
Bananas, beloved for their sweet taste and numerous health benefits, are a favorite fruit for millions worldwide. But if you're a banana lover, brace yourself for some bad news—a deadly fungus is threatening to wipe out bananas as we know them. Could this mean the end of our favorite fruit? Discover the alarming details and what the future holds for bananas.
Bananas are probably the favorite fruit of millions of people around the world.
They are not only easy to eat but also beneficial for health, making them a popular choice for many. But have you come across recent reports suggesting that bananas might be in danger?
Scientists recently announced that a deadly fungal pathogen has officially taken hold of bananas, and there is a possibility that bananas could go extinct in the future!
If you think this news is just a rumor, you are mistaken. Bananas are currently under attack by a fungus called Fusarium Oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4). This lengthy-named fungus causes one of the most devastating plant diseases known, Fusarium wilt (FWB).
Also known as Panama disease, FWB begins when the fungus enters the plant's roots and invades its vascular system.
The fungus blocks the flow of water and nutrients to the fruit, causing it to wilt and eventually die. However, this doesn’t mean that bananas will completely disappear. A similar situation occurred in the 1950s.
The bananas your grandparents ate in the 1950s are not the same as the ones we eat today!
The reason is fungi that, much like now, have plagued bananas. Li-Jun Ma, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and senior author of a recent study on Foc TR4, explains:
'The banana variety we eat today is not the same as the one your grandparents ate. Those older ones, Gros Michel bananas, were functionally wiped out as victims of the first Fusarium outbreak in the 1950s.'
In Central America, millions of Gros Michel bananas were destroyed by Foc race 1 (R1).
Scientists then developed the Cavendish banana, which was resistant to this disease. Today, the Cavendish banana we consume is threatened by a different strain, Foc race 4. TR4 is thought to have first appeared in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, it is believed that the fungus has spread to a wide area, including Colombia and Peru, the world's largest banana-exporting regions.
So, is this the end for bananas? Will scientists intervene?
Looking at the current situation, it seems that the Cavendish bananas are nearing their end. However, scientists have identified that the TR4 fungus is evolutionarily different from the virus that emerged in the 1950s. In this case, ongoing studies may help to prevent the spread of the TR4 fungus. If prevention fails, we might have to say hello to a completely new type of banana!
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