World’s banana supply threatened by pests and fungus

Scientists are growing increasingly concerned that the worldwide supply of bananas is being threatened by insect infestations and fungal infections.

Mealybugs and scale insects have devastated Costa Rica's banana supply with up to 20 per cent of its produce written off. The pests feed on the fruit and leave unsightly blemishes rending the crop unsuitable for export.

As a result, the government of one of the biggest suppliers of the fruit has declared a "national emergency" over the state of its crop, reports The Independent.

Further complicating the fate of bananas is the fact that scientists have recently discovered a fungus originally found in Asia in the 1990s, which rots and kills bananas, is spreading rapidly worldwide.

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Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.cubense (Foc) has spread from Asia to Australia, the Middle East and Africa. Scientists warn that expansion of the fungus to other parts of the world would be devastating, especially if it reached Latin America and the Caribbean, which accounts for 80 per cent of the world's banana supply.

"I'm incredibly concerned. I will not be surprised if it pops up in Latin America in the near future," Gert Kema, a researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, tells Scientific America.

A different strain of the fungus nearly caused the extinction of the Gros Michel banana variety in the 1950s. As a result, producers began harvesting the now popular Cavendish banana variety, which was resistant to that particular strain of Foc.

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But now a new strain of the fungus is threatening to wipe out the Caverdish banana, much in the same way the previous strain did to the Gros Michel banana. The solution may very well lie in developing a new banana variety resistant to the fungus strain.

In the meantime, while banana lovers are waiting for the fate of their favourite fruit to settle, they should consider trying other banana varieties currently sold worldwide.

MSN provides an excellent rundown of banana varietals consumers should consider purchasing including the Gold Finger and Red Dacca.