Breakthrough in the fight against devastating banana diseases: first resistant plant developed
Researchers at Wageningen University and Research, in collaboration with
Chiquita, KeyGene, and MusaRadix have developed a new hybrid banana plant
named Yelloway One that is resistant to two of the most destructive diseases
for bananas, Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and Black Sigatoka.
The development of Yelloway One is a major breakthrough and comes at a
critical time for global banana cultivation. In recent years, TR4 and Black
Sigatoka have caused significant damage, resulting in losses worth hundreds
of millions of dollars. Yelloway One is resistant to TR4, a fungus capable
of devastating entire plantations, and Black Sigatoka, a leaf disease that
drastically reduces yields. Both diseases have been long-standing threats to
the banana industry, particularly to the widely exported Cavendish banana.
The research team used a combination of traditional crossbreeding techniques
and modern DNA analysis technology to accelerate the process of developing
Yelloway One. This allowed them to select new varieties with desired traits,
such as disease resistance, more quickly and efficiently. Yelloway One is
still a prototype and is currently being grown in a greenhouse in the
Netherlands. The plants will soon be sent to regions in the Philippines and
Indonesia, where TR4 and Black Sigatoka have caused significant damage.
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www.wur.nl]
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