Bananas as We Know Them Could Disappear Forever

[GoodRevrnd]

Finally, shortsighted monoculture practices are working in my favor. Death to this vile fruit.

 

[lxskllr]

I guess it's time to preserve some for future tasting. Time to make a huge 12 gallon batch of banana wine.

Ugh. I don't think I'd like that. Even over ripe bananas that are sweet and possibly fermented make me cough.

Not a huge fan of banana. I get red bananas on occasion. I like the size, but don't know how to pick them. Sometimes they're good, and other times flavorless.

 

[Brainonska511]

I read about this several years ago now, and it isn't the first time it has happened.

Our monoculture practices are what cause things like this.

It depends what you mean by monoculture. Something like corn, though grown in large fields, isn't as "monoculture" as you might imagine. There are numerous varieties grown and overall, it has fairly broad genetic diversity. On the other hand, bananas are almost all clones, thanks to the way the plant reproduces, so the genetic diversity is pretty low, making it highly susceptible to diseases described in the OP.

I'm pretty sure they're working on it. GMO bananas ftmfw!

I'm pretty sure they are working on it as well. But people will get their knickers in a twist over scary GMOs.

 

[Iron Woode]

I love red bananas:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_banana

:awe:

 

[BudAshes]

I love red bananas:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_banana

:awe:

Where the fuck you get that Banana at?

 

[IEC]

how will we measure things if the banana goes extinct?

We will use the all-purpose standard measure: nefs per second.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Where the fuck you get that Banana at?

Where the f'k do you live? You've never seen a red banana in a grocery store?

 

[ElFenix]

I guess it's time to preserve some for future tasting. Time to make a huge 12 gallon batch of banana wine.

DrMoonshine

 

[Jeff7]

What is to prevent them from saving bananas, waiting until the disease is gone and then replanting them at a later point? Wouldn't it be as simple as switching to another type temporarily and then back later?

Something of a variation on the practice of crop rotation.

Next up is the last Okra harvest and then off to explore the universe!

It's not worth going out there if they don't have bananas.

how will we measure things if the banana goes extinct?

If we properly engineer a new one, there could be a NIST-certifiable Standard Banana.

 

[randay]

this shit is bananas

 

[GoodRevrnd]

this shit is bananas

B!

 

[disappoint]

how will we measure things if the banana goes extinct?

Whispers: "One of us...one of us...one of us..."

 

[William Gaatjes]

I am still enjoying mine as long as i can :

 

[Jeff7]

Whispers: "One of us...one of us...one of us..."

Hey, Rule 5/7, remember?

 

[Miramonti]

New banana trees don't grow on trees.

 

[KMFJD]

the local banana they eat in the Philippines was really good, much tastier than the cavendish that we get

 

[mikeymikec]

Bananaaa?

 

[Jeeebus]

the local banana they eat in the Philippines was really good, much tastier than the cavendish that we get

That's what I grow in my yard. They call it lacatan here.

 

[Linux23]

Where the f'k do you live? You've never seen a red banana in a grocery store?

I've never seen one either so what's your point?

 

[SaurusX]

This was in the news literally 10 years ago. I had this conversation with people at work about how the banana was endangered due to some banana tree disease and that we needed to enjoy them while we could. Literally 10 years ago.

 

[Brainonska511]

This was in the news literally 10 years ago. I had this conversation with people at work about how the banana was endangered due to some banana tree disease and that we needed to enjoy them while we could. Literally 10 years ago.

Yeah, but it's still true and still a problem. It's just taking its time to spread around the world.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Every couple years we get a threatening thing that could wipe out an entire species of crops. A few years ago it was coffee beans.

Maybe it's time to not put all our eggs in one basket and actually grow this stuff in more than one area?

Also if we loose the banana, how will we measure stuff? They'll have to redo the whole measurement system so it works with a different fruit!

 

[Azraele]

I eat bananas every day. This would make me sad.