“More diversity than just the Cavendish is required”

“It's practically irresponsible,” says Gert Kema, professor at the Wageningen University & Research, about the fact that barely any research was being done into new varieties within the banana sector. Panama disease and Black Sigatoka are dangers that have been topical for decades, but no research into resistance has ever been done. For more than ten years, he has been absorbed in bananas, and he’s surprised by the sector’s passive attitude.

In recent years, many shifts have occurred in the banana sector: Chiquita and Fyffes changed owners, Dole is up for sale and prices in European supermarkets are structurally low. “Here on campus I’ll pay 65 cents per banana - at Starbucks I pay a dollar and in the supermarket I pay one euro per kilogram. That puts enormous pressure on the entire sector,” says Gert. “If retailers would help get different bananas, the landscape would completely change, but it’s too easy to not keep the rest of the supply chain in mind.” The lack of research into new varieties and improving current ones isn’t new. For decades, research in the banana sector has appeared to come of worst. Because of that, there’s no eye for genetic diversity of bananas in the sector. As a result, the sector is exceptionally narrow, which causes major risks.

The problems with Panama disease, particularly now that Cavendish bananas turn out to be very susceptible to the so-called ‘Tropical Race 4’ (TR4) strain, have been occurring for two decades at least. In recent years, more attention appears to have been paid to the dangers of the mould. The research conducted by the WUR some years ago, in which a method was developed to determine if a banana plant was infected by TR4 within a day, functioned as a flywheel. Before this method was developed, it took at least three months to determine TR4. Shortly after the presentation of the new method, the mould was also found in Jordan and Mozambique, outside of its traditional territory in Southeast Asia. “That truly startled the sector,” Gert says. “The entire sector could be seen to get active, because the mould was no longer far removed from growers in South America. With our research, we determined that the problems regarding TR4 are much bigger than the sector thought.” India, Oman, Lebanon and Pakistan have now also been added to the list of infected countries, and the spread of TR4 will only increase in coming years.

Bananas are an intriguing crop in multiple ways,” Gert continues. “It’s difficult for me to explain why the sector responds so slowly to the threat of the mould.” It’s not the first time the global banana production is confronted by a devastating disease. In the 1950s, an earlier variant of Panama disease decimated the banana production. That variant of the mould meant the end for the Gros Michel banana, the variety keeping the sector afloat at the time. Gert sees a parallel between the crisis in the banana sector back then and the current response to TR4. Just like in the heyday of the Gros Michel, the banana production has been built up as a monoculture, around Cavendish varieties this time. “The sector is now responding in the same way as they did back then,” he says.

That response is twofold. On the one hand, growers abandon the contaminated soil to start new plantations elsewhere. That’s not without risks. “Chinese growers are abandoning contaminated plantations in China and go to neighbouring countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, and the agricultural materials are just brought along,” Gert exemplifies. Besides the fact that these new plantations are often located in suboptimal production circumstances, the disease is spread via contaminated material, and no quarantine measures are taken. On the other hand, all the stops are pulled out to continue growing Cavendish as long as possible, rather than researching new varieties or alternatives.

“As a sector, it would be wise to invest in research into disease control and innovation. The development of new varieties is essential and in a sector as large as the banana sector, it should be possible. As plant breeder, I’m surprised that people stick to maintaining one variety,” Gert says. “I think it’s an old-fashioned thought.” Cavendish wasn’t a new variety that came out of research, but a wild variety that coincidentally turned out to be resistant during the first Panama disease epidemic that wiped out Gros Michel. “There are many wild bananas with an enormous diversity, but these have hardly been embraced by improvements. Plant improvement hasn’t happened with the dominant Cavendish banana, nor with the bananas for the local markets.”

Last November, the banana research had some good news. Scientists in Australia managed to place a TR4-resistant quality from a wild banana into Cavendish, so that the Cavendish is now resistant against TR4. The research group in Wageningen was involved in this research, and Gert says its “definitely a breakthrough,” although he comments: “This is a genetically modified banana, and this will result in problems for the marketing in some countries.” Besides, it’s not a solution for the underlying problem: the narrow genetic basis of the banana production. “It’s still the same Cavendish banana.” The resistant quality is good news, but it’s impossible and undesirable to use genetic modification for all challenges in banana productions of one variety.

“The entire research area within bananas is incredibly far behind that of other crops. That’s why we invest in programmes to recover basic genetic information.” Black Sigatoka, for example, is a secondary challenge. No resistent genes against this disease have been mapped yet. “How can the entire sector have accepted that most countries have to spray against Black Sigatoka 50 to 60 times per year?” Gert asks in conclusion. “Once the average consumer in Europe starts realising that, the sector would have a problem. You can’t explain why no research has been done for other solutions and varieties. The production has to be made sustainable. That is a long-term story, and Cavendish has no place in it. We have to make new varieties that put the – global – customers’ wishes front and centre, and that can be safely grown. We want more flavours, smells and colours in supermarkets.”

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Wageningen University & Research
Gert Kema