Disease-beating banana

Black sigatoka and Panama disease are the two worst fungal diseases to afflict bananas. But a new variety of banana developed at the Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research (HFRA) is much hardier than traditional varieties and is resistant to the diseases. Called Goldfinger, it is a short, fat, apple-flavoured banana and is a cross between a wild Asian banana and a Brazilian variety. To control black sigatoka and Panama disease, bananas need regular and expensive applications of antifungal chemicals and, even so, black sigatoka was showing signs of chemical resistance. However, the plants of Goldfinger, as well as resisting the two fungal diseases, are less palatable to insects and to the root-eating nematodes that afflict plantations. Goldfinger has been tested at HFAR`s farms in Northeast Honduras, and on experimental stations in Costa Rica, Colombia, Cameroon, Nigeria and Australia. Seedlings should be available in late 1994. Phil Rowe Fundacion Hondurena de Investigacion Agricola Apartado Postal 2067 San Pedro Sula, HONDURASBlack sigatoka and Panama disease are the two worst fungal diseases to afflict bananas. But a new variety of banana developed at the Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research (HFRA) is much hardier than traditional varieties and is resistant to..