Re: Why don't they export Gros Michel bananas again?
Gabe, I read in one of my banana books that when the switch to cavendish was made, growers realized that they could increase plant populations and yields went fron 12-15 tons per acre to 30 tons per acre.
At least in my subtropical location, the yield per plant from Williams blows away Gros Michel.
As far as non monocultures go, you still run the risk of having panama disease take out all of your susceptible cultivars. The key to an export oriented Gros Michel plantation would be fresh land and intense phytosanitary procedures. There are also "suppressive" soils but nobody has figured out why they naturally suppress Panama disease.
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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.
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