Is the Banana Doomed?

[Alka_Seltzer]

I came across this interesting article:

http://www.conservationmagazine.org/articles/v9n4/the-sterile-banana/

Is there any viable long-term solution to the problem of commercially produced banana sterility? (Because they are sterile, they cannot adapt resistance to diseases and fungi).

[Bryan_Ekers]

First the bees and now this?! Where will it end?

[JThunder]

So we’ll have no bananas tomorrow?

[Cisco]

I believe, if I’m understanding Kirk Cameron correctly, if the banana goes, we go.

[mswas]

Yes, We Have No Bananas!

[GIGObuster]

Heh, it seems that we get this issue almost every year:

Yes, we have no bananas; we’ll have no bananas tomorrow?

But I asked first.

I will quote the best answer from UncleBill:

I read the New Scientist story yesterday, being in the business. Cavendish Bananas are triploids, having sets of three chomosomes instead of two. They cannot sexually reproduce the way most plants can. The seeds were bred out to make the fruit more edible way way back in murky history. The ‘Gros Michel’ variety dominated the western marketplace up until the Panama Disease, a soil-borne disease, effectively wiped it out about 40-45 years ago. The Cavendish, resistant to Panama Disease, replaced the ‘Gros Michel’, and is what is almost guaranteed to be sitting on your supermarket shelf right now.

There is a new (found in 1965) variety of the Panama Disease (called Race 4), which does affect the Cavendish variety, but it is more prevalent in the Sub Tropics, not the Tropics. Its survivability is dependant on soil conditions. The folks behind that article (Frison) used sensationalism to promote their research in Genetically Modified produce. The Big Three producers are generally avoiding funding GM research, due to the public mistrust of GM foods, so these guys flame up the sensationalist newspaper headlines to garner support.

Other resistant commercially viable varieties exist right now, but taste different, more of an apple flavoring, and they have not met with overwhelming support by the public.

You will be able to buy bananas in ten years.

The current article deals with other diseases, but I think I agree that we will still have bananas in the future.

[panache45]

They’ll have to pry my banana from my cold dead hands.

[Bryan_Ekers]

If bananas disappear, what’ll I put in my hammock?

[Alka_Seltzer]

@GIGObuster

Heh, it seems that we get this issue almost every year:

Yes, we have no bananas; we’ll have no bananas tomorrow? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board

But I asked first.

Thanks for that, I’ll have a read through that thread.

[Uosdwis_R.Dewoh]

@Cisco

I believe, if I’m understanding Kirk Cameron correctly, if the banana goes, we go.

I’m sure Kirk can find something else to grab perfectly. Too bad he doesn’t believe in gay marriage.

@Bryan Ekers

If bananas disappear, what’ll I put in my hammock?

If you’ve been stuffing your banana hammock with bananas, the lack of said bananas is the least of your worries. May I suggest a cucumber or a squash of some kind?

[mswas]

@Cisco

I believe, if I’m understanding Kirk Cameron correctly, if the banana goes, we go.

I don’t get it.

[smiling_bandit]

@mswas

I don’t get it.

He’s making a joke. There was a (completely fabricated, but fabricated some time ago) quote supposedly from Einstein to the effect of “if the bees go, a year later we all go.” Einstein didn’t say it, it isn’t true, but it is catchy, and in the (completely idiotic) scare over Colony Collapse Disorder (completely made-up) it got to be real popular.

[Superfluous_Parentheses]

But without bananas, how will we prove that creationism is true? :eek:

[Don_t_Panic]

Hey! I resemble this thread…

[Half_Man_Half_Wit]

@Cisco

I believe, if I’m understanding Kirk Cameron correctly, if the banana goes, we go.

I thought god did?

Does anybody else find it ironic that a fruit this phallic is sterile?

[The_Tao_s_Revenge]

I have a question. The original mutant sterile bananas didn’t pop out of nowhere. Surely there’s more mutant sterile penis fruit out there to be found in Chinese jungles?

[mswas]

@smiling_bandit

He’s making a joke. There was a (completely fabricated, but fabricated some time ago) quote supposedly from Einstein to the effect of “if the bees go, a year later we all go.” Einstein didn’t say it, it isn’t true, but it is catchy, and in the (completely idiotic) scare over Colony Collapse Disorder (completely made-up) it got to be real popular.

Yeah, I got that it was a joke, and I knew the quote about ‘if the bees go’, but I didn’t get the part about Kirk Cameron. I guess just because he starred in those left-behind movies?

[Half_Man_Half_Wit]

@mswas

Yeah, I got that it was a joke, and I knew the quote about ‘if the bees go’, but I didn’t get the part about Kirk Cameron. I guess just because he starred in those left-behind movies?

Superfluous Parentheses posted a link to the video proving the existence of god by banana above. After you’ve internalized this vital truth, maybe you’re interested in learning how peanut butter disproves abiogenesis, as well.

[Isamu]

@mswas

Yeah, I got that it was a joke, and I knew the quote about ‘if the bees go’, but I didn’t get the part about Kirk Cameron. I guess just because he starred in those left-behind movies?

Nah, Kirk Cameron used bananas as evidence of creationism. I don’t know the whole story because I never saw it, but apparently, the fact that the banana fits the human hand perfectly (or somesuch nonsense) is proof that we were created by god and provided by said god with fruits of the earth on which to feast. Something like that anyway.

Edit - Well, what he said.

[Amp]

Not only will we have bananas in years to come but I have it on good authority that both regular and nacho flavors will be available.