Brebarian

Great video, thanks for sharing.

Monocultures failing are a natural and inevitable result of these kinds of farming practices.

One would think that after the gros michel, banana companies would have learned that lesson, but society's collective memory is short, and it seems if a commercially viable TR4 strain is developed, banana companies are determined to rinse and repeat for a third time.

barnetmill

They got 50 or more years out of it and when/if they get a replacement will greedily go back to doing the same.
Plagues are the hazard of all agriculture. Monoculture makes if worse for sure. Right we are facing a citrus plague and I hope they can engineer citrus that will be resistant to greening disease.

Mikemooreflorida

not really much of another option than the mono culture for a low priced banana. Regardless of 1 variety or 50, the tr4 would kill off a farmers field the same.

I can't really see the masses wanting to pay the high price for a low scale, bio diverse farm grown banana..

But maybe I should buy extra land and be ready with the gold valued bananas in hand when the mass producers are no more??

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Current varieties:
Dwarf Cavendish Fruited , Apple Mansano TC unconfirmed, Rajapuri TC Fruited, Gold Finger TC unconfirmed, Dwarf Namwa TC Fruited, Dwarf Orinoco TC Fruited, Sweetheart FHIA-03 Fruited, Tall Red banana Fruited, Blue Java Fruited, Tall Namwa Fruited, Pisang Raja Fruited, Hua Moa TC Stunted, Dwarf Brazilian Fruited, High Gate unconfirmed, Tall Brazilian Fruited, Kokopo unconfirmed, FHIA-17 Fruited, Dwarf Plantain Fruited.