Tropical Disease Spreads – Threatens Important Food

• Bananas have been threatened with extinction for years.
• The fault is Panama disease, which is spreading more and more around the world.
• You can see the history of the disease in the video above.

It is the most popular fruit in the world, every German eats almost 11 pounds a year: bananas.

But what we almost do not talk about is that bananas have been threatened with extinction for years. The reason is a tropical disease that is spreading around the world and affects plants. "Panama disease" has already erupted in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Central Africa.

Researchers warn that fungal disease attacks banana roots. When it reaches South America, the so-called Cavendish bananas could go out.

Cavendish group bananas are the most popular and most consumed bananas in the world. In Germany, these bananas even reach a market share of about 99%.

Researcher: "The situation is really dramatic"

Panama disease has been known for many years, but what worries more and more researchers, is that the chemical treatment of bananas s & # 39; Is revealed unsuccessful. In addition, the disease can spread very quickly in these bananas because they are genetically identical.

"The situation is really dramatic, there is no cure for this new pathogen of Panama disease, and huge amounts of fungicides only help against the disease." other mushrooms, "said Gert Kema, a banana researcher from the University of Wageningen in 2016, at the Spiegel Online information site.

Nothing has improved since.

"The banana we know, is extremely threatened – and a successor is not in sight," says the researchers.

But there is hope: on the so-called Malagasy tree grow bananas, which are immune to tropical disease.

Because these trees are extremely rare, biologists are now trying to develop a new banana, a hybrid of two different banana species, according to the British Daily Mail.