Re: bananas... are they on the way out?

ah so. if that [black sigatoka] is what they are talking about, then the answer, it would seem, is not biodiversity but genetic engineering.

At 04:06 PM 1/25/03 -0500, you wrote:
Donna wrote:

Hey Jim and other southern warm weathered usually gardeners... this came
thru on a different list, wondering how true it is?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What they're referring to is a fungus called Black Sigatoka,
which is supposed to be currently decimating banana plantations
in the Brazilian amazon and West Africa. Google on +Black +Sigatoka
to find out more than you want to know.
I think the problem with bananas is that the commercial ones are
sterile (likely triploid <- tetraploid x diploid) and so the tiny
black thingies are sterile wannabe seeds. Those bananas which set seed
are close to inedible (Jim ?) due to the multiplicity of seeds.
 -jrf
---
Jim Fisher
Vienna, Virginia USA
38.9 N 77.2 W
USDA Zone 7
Max. 105 F [37 C], Min. 0 F [-17 C]

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