News and analysis

• Blog Actions
• RSS

Can the origin of a banana indicate whether its production is sustainable?

Recent advances have paved the way for a global effort to address the dreaded TR4 fungus.

Tillage is usually not an issue in perennial banana cropping systems, but scientists in the West French Indies looked into the matter to determine whether periodical tillage is necessary to maintain high yield.

Nearly two-thirds of the bananas produced in Uganda are transported over long distances to reach their markets, a situation that offers limited scope for the sustainable intensification of these faraway banana systems, according to a study by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

Growing bananas in the subtropics presents its own set of challenges, as the talks presented at a symposium on bananas in the subtropics confirmed. Not surprisingly many participants were keen on finding out what climate change models say about the future suitability of the subtropics for growing bananas.

A study analyses the factors that favoured the adoption of FHIA-21 in the Dominican Republic.

Recent observations of Xanthomonas wilt in Burundi show that the disease is spreading in the border provinces.

Banana scientists are warned about the risk of spreading pests and diseases.

David W. Turner reviews the second edition of John Robinson’s well-known book on bananas and plantains.

Cavendish bananas that have been genetically engineered to outsmart the causal agent of Fusarium wilt will be tested in field trials in Australia.

Taking advantage of the technological developments that make sequencing genomes increasingly affordable, scientists compared the genome of the causal agent of Xanthomonas wilt with the one of a closely related strain.

Costa Rica cleared the first hurdle to obtain a protected geographical status for its bananas. An example for other banana-producing countries?

The discovery in India of Cavendish bananas developing symptoms of Fusarium wilt as a result of being infected with a race 1 strain is as perplexing as it is worrisome.

Ivan W. Buddenhagen’s introduction to a new book on the progresses made in breeding bananas. The book covers all aspects of breeding and genetics, including biotechnology.

The World Banana Forum was launched last December at the headquarters of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome to provide a permanent space for stakeholders to discuss the challenges facing the banana industry.