The death of the Banana??

[happyflowerlady]

I tried growing a banana plant last year. it grew inside over the winter, and then last summer when it warmed up, i planted it outside, where it was fine, but did not really grow much. Then I had to move late last fall, so we had to just leave the banana plant. I think that I will try growing one again, and this time, I can be sure to bring it inside in the winter time, and then maybe I can get my own bananas even if they do lose this crop to the fungus.
The bad part is that once the fungus gets in the dirt, it is supposed to stay in the soil; so even if the growers start using a different banana, the fungus would be in the ground, and they would need to start over with a whole different location to get away from the fungus.

 

[ChanellG]

I didn't follow the link because I only have a few minutes (the intermittent rain showers keep driving me inside and I have a lot to do today!), but I heard a report a while ago about how a fungus (or some kind of untreatable soil borne illness) that was spreading across the world was killing off banana crops.

The report was on NPR and it was actually a conversation between a guy who'd written this very comprehensive book on the history of bananas and one of their commentators. It was a really good report/interview; I'll have to try and look for it again.

 

[Rosyrain]

It seems like they try to GMO everything these days! Can't they leave well enough alone. We do not need mutated food. There is going to be a time where food is not food anymore, just one big experiment.

 

[Colene]

This makes me so sad! I don't even know what a REAL banana tastes like because we have been eating clones since I was born, but for them to be gone forever is so depressing! And, I have never heard of a yellow lime before! What is that? When I think yellow lime, I think lemon!

 

[R.R.]

That's good to hear. I think the trend to oversize fruits and veggies is part of the problem. People feel like they're getting a better value or something with a huge banana or strawberry, even if the flavor isn't there.

Smaller bananas are actually much more convenient, especially since most places sell by the pound anyway. I usually have to half most bananas for my ceral or sandwiches or whatever because they're just ridiculous otherwise.

I remember, when I was little, my mom told me they shipped the big bananas to foreign countries (the USA and the UK were included in the foreign countries) because people just cared for big bananas. We kept the small ones and they (foreigners) didn't know the small ones were the best-flavored ones

Anyway, I didn't see anywhere in the article (I read it quite quickly though) the Canary Islands being mentioned. They grow lots of bananas there, so maybe I'd try to buy bananas from there in the future.

 

[ChanellG]

My mother has back yard bananas and I kept waiting to see if they were going to be edible. Last time I was there, the trees were all cut down. (I guess the freeze got them) Just realized I never heard anything more about the fruit.

It seems like they try to GMO everything these days! Can't they leave well enough alone. We do not need mutated food. There is going to be a time where food is not food anymore, just one big experiment.

I think we are already in that time and we just didn't know it. Experimentation and hybridization have been going on for decades, if not centuries.

 

[Chuck]

My mother has back yard bananas and I kept waiting to see if they were going to be edible. Last time I was there, the trees were all cut down. (I guess the freeze got them) Just realized I never heard anything more about the fruit.



I think we are already in that time and we just didn't know it. Experimentation and hybridization have been going on for decades, if not centuries.

They are growing corn now that produces its own caterpillar killer. I wonder if this no worm corn gets better gas mileage. Isn't there something wrong here?

 

[ChanellG]

They are growing corn now that produces its own caterpillar killer. I wonder if this no worm corn gets better gas mileage. Isn't there something wrong here?

Geez. Did you know that most of the corn grown in the US is not for eating? That came as a surprise to me a few years ago, but it explains why Monsanto et al, keep screwing around with GMO crops. The problem is they aren't doing it indoors and the cross-pollination screws with everyone else's plants.

 

[lemonzest]

Yeah, I grew up in Spain and still think of bananas as being from the Canary Islands even though I'm in the US now and know that's unlikely for the ones I see here

 

[Meowmie]

Interesting about the smaller bananas being more flavorful. They do have them in our store here but at twice the price, and bananas in general are not cheap these days.
When I get to Belize I will look for property with a banana tree that grows small bananas

 

[Rainman]

Supposing the fungus was deliberately released so that GMO bananas could be introduced? Some of these disease outbreaks do not just happen. In most cases someone is behind them.

It may sound like spreading conspiracy theories but why is that instead of trying to find a solution all talk is about resistant GMO varieties? There is something about GMO food that we're not being told about.

If bananas are wiped out then I will opt to do without eating bananas for the rest of my life.

 

[grouie]

Bananas are my staple diet and luckily they are available here. But they are not doing well in my garden. I had well over 6 varieties.

 

[Pat]

I would really hate to see the banana crops wiped out by a fungus or what ever the problem is. I love bananas, they are good for your body and I use my peels for my plants.

 

[headfullofbees]

Will it go straight to heaven?

 

[superbobby]

Are they even safe to eat? There needs to be more awareness on GMOs.