Grapevine

Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka

Researchers have developed a banana plant that is resistant to both fusarium tropical race 4 (TR4) and black sigatoka, two of the most destructive diseases for bananas.

Professor of Phytopathology Gert Kema at Wageningen University & Research views the development of the new hybrid, named Yelloway One, as a major breakthrough in banana cultivation, stating, "We've known for some time that conventional breeding can help us develop plants resistant to these diseases. Now we've proven it, and more importantly, we've demonstrated that by using the latest genetic tools, we can do it much faster than others. This is of great importance for the future of banana farming."

The development of Yelloway One comes at a critical time for global banana cultivation. TR4 and black sigatoka have caused significant damage in recent years, resulting in losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Until now, no resistant banana variety has been available, placing immense pressure on farmers and the banana sector as a whole.

Yelloway One is the product of conventional breeding techniques. The plant 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 breakthrough was achieved through a collaboration between Chiquita, KeyGene, MusaRadix, and Wageningen University & Research. The team of experts employed a combination of traditional crossbreeding techniques and modern DNA analysis technology to accelerate the process of developing resistant banana varieties. This allowed them to select new varieties with desired traits, such as disease resistance, more quickly and efficiently.