Back in the 1950s, the world was enjoying a particularly tasty banana known as Gros Michel, up until a wilt-causing pathogen effectively wiped out the variety. After that, the Cavendish, which was resistant to the disease, became the most commonly grown version.
However, in the 1990s, a new outbreak of banana wilt started attacking the Cavendish. This time it was because of a fungal pathogen called "Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc)" and specifically the strain named tropical race 4, or TR4 for short.
Researchers on the case discovered that Foc TR4 isn't a direct descendant of the pathogen from the '50s, but a new version with virulent accessory genes related to the production of nitric oxide, according to a report from the University of Massachusetts Amherst posted by Phys.org.
"TR4's genome contains some accessory genes that are linked to the production of nitric oxide, which seems to be the key factor in TR4's virulence," said Li-Jun Ma, the senior author of a paper on the subject and professor at UMass Amherst, per the report.
The habit of monocropping, or growing large quantities of a single crop, has placed our food supply in a tricky spot. Not only does it make it easier for a disease to spread, but without properly diversifying crops, it decreases the viability of the soil and surrounding ecosystems.
By increasing biodiversity in our agricultural systems, we can more easily face risks due to a changing climate and begin to mitigate the ill effects. In fact, an earlier report published on Phys.org revealed that increasing soil-related resistance through microorganisms can aid in disease suppression, especially with Foc TR4 and the banana crop.
While the researchers are still investigating how the pathogen's production and detoxification of fungal nitric oxide contribute to the disease infestation in Cavendish bananas, they're optimistic this new information can assist in fighting the outbreak.
"Identifying … accessory genetic sequences opens up many strategic avenues to mitigate — or even control — the spread of Foc TR4," lead author Yong Zhang explained.
Over 100 billion bananas are consumed each year across the globe, and in the U.S., each person eats around 26 pounds of the fruit every year, according to details from Wageningen University.
The original Gros Michel outbreak cost the U.S. at least $2.3 billion and this second banana-wilt outbreak has already cost us $400 million. This new research into Foc TR4, along with the advent of new climate-friendly technologies gives us a leg up on the situation.
The increase of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has knock-on effects for soil and crops, as well. Efforts to support cleaner energy, land conservation, and maintaining more diverse crops can go a long way toward securing our food supply and protecting the environment.
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