19 Aug 2024 --- Bananas are at risk of functional extinction due to Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) disease, commonly known as Panama disease, which is caused by a fungal pathogen. However, new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, US, has detected some “accessory genes” within the fungus that produce nitric oxide and contribute to wilting. Today’s most popular type of banana is the Cavendish variety, bred in response to Gros Michel bananas going extinct in the 1950s. The Cavendish bananas have been around since then, grown widely in monoculture plantations that meet most of the world’s commercial demands for the fruit.
