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View Full Version : Cavendish banana on the way out?


JoeReal
07-14-2005, 06:47 PM
This news is really very old. But there are important information stated about bananas and its future. This has been reported elsewhere, particularly in the science portion of most online news. Here's from the popular science online magazine, and they talked about bananas:

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/article/0,20967,1076199-1,00.html

I'm not worried with this, because I grew up acquiring the taste of highly diversified bananas. Honestly, the cavendish bananas sold in the US grocery stores is not my best tasting banana if there were more choices. For now the cavendishes are the cheapest among the occasional other varieties appearing in specialty stores, but I can guarantee you that the cavendishes are not very versatile nor the best tasting, but the problem is how soon can you adjust your taste to like other types of bananas? If people can't change, then it is indeed a race with time in finding a suitable substitute for cavendish banana.

Currently I grow about 10 types of cold hardy bananas in my yard, in USDA Zone 9, Northern California. I have two bananas blooming at the moment.

Here's my album. Haven't posted the pics of my blooming bananas yet. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=4148728

sean
07-15-2005, 09:00 AM
Excellent article...I'm glad I planted my own varieties just in case the cavendish gets wiped out! :)

JoeReal
07-15-2005, 03:03 PM
Good for you sean! There are truly better tasting bananas than the market cavendish.

Marc
07-15-2005, 03:30 PM
This is why countries need tougher plant import laws and tougher screening to prevent global outbreaks. I was i the plant import line in Miami and Haitian lady was trying to illegally bring in all kinds of fruits and vegetables. So much for medfly control.

JoeReal
07-15-2005, 09:51 PM
In case anyone will import banana or other plants from outside the US, here is the legal process to do so, and as Marc have said, it keeps us all safe if done legally:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/plantproducts/nursery.html