Popular Science asks the burning question, "Can this fruit be saved?"
It's an article that is actually quite interesting... about bananas. Did you know that 99.9% of the bananas sold commercially are clones of just one variety, called "Cavendish"?
That sameness is the banana’s paradox. After 15,000 years of human cultivation, the banana is too perfect, lacking the genetic diversity that is key to species health. What can ail one banana can ail all. A fungus or bacterial disease that infects one plantation could march around the globe and destroy millions of bunches, leaving supermarket shelves empty.
A wild scenario? Not when you consider that there’s already been one banana apocalypse.
A banana apocalypse? oooo, they should make a movie about that!
Movie, yes ... as long as Tom Cruise does not star. Is rather amazing that there is such little banana diversity.
Posted by: Hollis | Thursday, 14 July 2005 at 10:57 PM