|
March 6, 2008
Posted: 04:59 PM ET
Known for being nutritious, sweet, cheap and readily available, bananas are definitely popular. But did you know that in five to ten years banana experts say this tasty fruit could disappear? 
Source: Getty Images
 Well, not all bananas of course, but the variety we eat called the Cavendish. A malady named Panama Disease, threatens to wipe this variety from fruit stands and cereal bowls around the world. One problem is that every Cavendish banana we buy at the grocery store is a clone from the first one found in Southeast Asia and brought to the Americas in the early 20th century. It’s a seedless banana that can only grow from another of its kind, and even though it was once resistant to Panama Disease, a fungus that affects the leaves, it mutated over time leaving the Cavendish vulnerable to the new strain. Our grandparents ate a different kind of banana called Gros Michel, one that became extinct due to Panama Disease. The Cavendish replaced it, and even though many people found the Gros Michel a superior banana in taste and texture, this new variety quickly became the most popular fruit in the United States, surpassing apples. The fungus that is currently affecting Cavendish crops in Asia could eventually hit banana crops in Central and South America. In the meantime, researchers are busy trying to find a replacement for the Cavendish because they say it’s only a matter of time before the world’s perfect food is gone for good. –Paulo Nogueira, Producer, CNN Science & Technology Filed under: Environment • Scientists
|
 
About this blog
As we reach out to learn more about the universe, we're all coming to terms with our relationship to our home planet: Pollution, solutions, and challenges in the way we live - and what we may leave behind. New Gadgets, and new discoveries, from the lab to the edges of the Galaxy; and the crossroad where science, religion, money and politics collide. Miles O'Brien and CNN's Sci-Tech team debrief, decode, and occasionally debunk the torrent of news about our earth, space, and cyberspace.  Related Links
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNN makes reasonable efforts to review all comments prior to posting and CNN may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
del.icio.us
Add a comment
