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End of BANANAS? Scientists warn favourite fruit could become EXTINCT
Daily Star ^ | July 5, 2018 | Martin Coulter

Posted on 07/05/2018 7:51:06 PM PDT by EdnaMode

Experts say a special breed found in Madagascar could hold the key to keeping them alive.

But there are only five known trees in existence.

Scientists are racing to develop new banana varieties strong enough to survive Panama disease, which is a major threat to banana crops around the world.

Because bananas are clones, the disease is able to spread very quickly from one to another.

It is currently wreaking havoc with crops in Asia – but could wipe out the world’s supply if it spreads to America.

Richard Allen, senior conservation assessor at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, told the BBC: "It doesn't have Panama disease in it, so perhaps it has genetic traits against the disease.

"We don't know until we actually do research on the banana itself, but we can't do the research until it's saved."

The Madagascan variety isn’t suitable for eating – but researchers hope to create a new type of banana through cross-breeding.

But the few remaining trees are stranded on the edge of Madagascan forests, threatened by logging, fires and farming.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: bananas; doomed; foodsupply; freepun; lol; madagascar; mysharona
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To: dfwgator

21 posted on 07/05/2018 8:29:26 PM PDT by BBell (Ich bin Ein Wenig Teekanne ):>()
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
One thing that I have never seen is a straight banana
22 posted on 07/05/2018 8:52:46 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: All
Just be careful the franken-banana isn't a cross with a lamb. You will get the Liverpool lambanana -

Sometimes they can be changed genetically to different colour patterns...:^)


23 posted on 07/05/2018 8:53:20 PM PDT by az_gila
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To: EdnaMode
This article is nothing but banana oil.
24 posted on 07/05/2018 8:55:31 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: DoodleBob
This article is a travesty. It’s a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.

OK. As your new president I make my first national decree, which is that each citizen shall change underwear daily.

And so that we can check, you will wear it on the outside.
25 posted on 07/05/2018 8:58:49 PM PDT by jobim
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To: EdnaMode

They’re high in carbs, so no big loss for most people.


26 posted on 07/05/2018 9:02:16 PM PDT by BobL (I drive a pick up truck because it makes me feel like a man)
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To: jobim

I used to gig at bar where every Thursday was Wear Your Underwear on the outside. The bar did well on what was usually a dead night at other bars.


27 posted on 07/05/2018 10:00:59 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing! Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a doctor and I won't touch that thing)
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To: EdnaMode

Aw. Can’t find my picture of Panic Monkey.


28 posted on 07/05/2018 10:37:40 PM PDT by Zack Attack
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To: EdnaMode
Bananas are a major source of calories in parts of Africa, and a major fruit export from Central America and the Philippines.

Genetically, all bananas are genetically similar...to grow trees you plant shoots, because they don't have seeds.

They are worried about pests destroying all bananas. Finding strains with resistance is a big deal.

And they are working on GM plants too.

29 posted on 07/05/2018 11:40:42 PM PDT by LadyDoc (Liberals only love politically correct poor people)
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To: EdnaMode

How will democrats be rewarded in the future for completing a step when there are no more bananas to eat?


30 posted on 07/06/2018 1:45:28 AM PDT by TonyM (UPS)
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To: LadyDoc
Genetically, all bananas are genetically similar...

Humans share 50% DNA with bananas

Eat a banana of the variety typically sold in American markets, then a plantain, then one of the short, fat, thin-skinned deliciously sweet kinds seldom sold here. Then tell me they are all the same.

Kinda like saying that iguana, rattlesnake and capybaras "all taste like chicken".

31 posted on 07/06/2018 1:50:15 AM PDT by BwanaNdege (uires sonm)
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To: EdnaMode

So its “Yes, we have no bananas...”


32 posted on 07/06/2018 2:39:06 AM PDT by njslim
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To: MrEdd

That was one of my favorite TV shows growing up in the 70s!


33 posted on 07/06/2018 2:50:33 AM PDT by Atticus
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To: EdnaMode

Monkeys to follow shortly thereafter.....


34 posted on 07/06/2018 3:35:17 AM PDT by trebb (Too many "Conservatives" who think their opinions outweigh reality these days...)
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To: EdnaMode

I’ll give you my banana when you pry it from my cold, dead hands...


35 posted on 07/06/2018 3:38:51 AM PDT by Stormy_2021 (It's like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain...)
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To: BwanaNdege
There are small variations only. When a disease hit the plantations here in the Philippines a couple years ago, they replaced the crop with a different strain. That is what they are trying to do in the articles.

And yes, there are many variations, but the example would be like Great Danes, Pekingese, and beagles...very different but still the same species.

36 posted on 07/06/2018 4:00:11 AM PDT by LadyDoc (Liberals only love politically correct poor people)
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To: DoodleBob

Did you have a nice flight?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF-AcR14Km8


37 posted on 07/06/2018 4:25:39 AM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: njslim

So its “Yes, we have no bananas...”

...

This disease is decades old and that song supposedly was inspired by a shortage about 100 years ago.


38 posted on 07/06/2018 4:35:34 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: EdnaMode

The article is a bit dramatic. According to Wiki, using tissue cultures to make clones is having success:

Unfortunately, the clonal reproduction of banana has led to a consequential lack of other varieties. Efforts are being made to produce resistant varieties, but with bananas being triploids which do not produce seeds, this is not an easy task. Creating clones from tissue cultures, rather than suckers, has proven somewhat successful in breeding resistant varieties, however, these tend to have decreased success in stress-tolerance, yield, or other beneficial traits necessary for commercial varieties. Nevertheless, these efforts are leading to the best control measure for Panama disease of banana.


39 posted on 07/06/2018 4:39:37 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

How about “I Like Bananas Because They Have No Bones”, or “30,000 Pounds of Bananas”?


40 posted on 07/06/2018 4:45:18 AM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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