Can we get back the superior Gros Michel banana then? Or a new one that is at least more similar to that than to the Cavendish?
Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
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Re: Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
#12The wording of the title is weird, it's like humans have developed a new banana. (that is, the title doesn't say a variant of a banana, but a banana) moreover: "The breakthrough was achieved through a collaboration between Chiquita, KeyGene, MusaRadix, and Wageningen University & Research. so is this patented ?
Maybe not patented, but most commercially grown crops come from proprietary seeds.
Hybrids are made from two plants, and the offspring is not the same. So you need to keep buying new seeds each season. Those two plants that are selected are the secret. Some tomato seeds cost more than 10x their weight in gold.
I watched a good documentary on YouTube about it earlier this year, but I can't find it now :/
Re: Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
#13The wording of the title is weird, it's like humans have developed a new banana. (that is, the title doesn't say a variant of a banana, but a banana) moreover: "The breakthrough was achieved through a collaboration between Chiquita, KeyGene, MusaRadix, and Wageningen University & Research. so is this patented ?
Maybe not patented, but most commercially grown crops come from proprietary seeds. Hybrids are made from two plants, and the offspring is not the same. So you need to keep buying new seeds each season. Those two plants that are selected are the secret. Some tomato seeds cost more than 10x their weight in gold. I watched a good documentary on YouTube about it earlier this year, but I can't find it now :/
Commercial bananas grow from cuttings. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but in the US, plant patents protect against unauthorized propagation.
Re: Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article states "Yelloway One is the product of conventional breeding techniques." and that [...]"modern DNA analysis technology to accelerate the process of developing resistant banana varieties. This allowed them to select new varieties with desired traits, such as disease resistance, more quickly and efficiently" I think that means it's non-GMO and shouldn't cause a kerfluffle.
It also shows how thin the line between “bred” and “genetically modified” is if you can rapidly check what you bred. They knew what DNA sequence they wanted to see in this banana, rolled the dice by breeding some banana variants, sequenced the DNA of those variants, selected the variants closest to their goal, rolled the slightly loaded dice they got from round 1 to get more variants, sequenced those to get dice that…
The line is pretty thick. For selective breeding, the end result still needs to be capable of consecutive propagation. The seeds you select have to be grown into a full plant that actually exists and then produces its own viable seeds and it has to do this for multiple generations. With GMOs, being able to DRM the seeds is widely considered a feature.
Re: Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
#15Can we get back the superior Gros Michel banana then? Or a new one that is at least more similar to that than to the Cavendish?
I'd love to see the original tastier bananas back. They're still about, preserved in obscure places like Kew gardens.
Re: Researchers develop first banana plant resistant to TR4 and black sigatoka
#16Can we get back the superior Gros Michel banana then? Or a new one that is at least more similar to that than to the Cavendish?
I'd love to see the original tastier bananas back. They're still about, preserved in obscure places like Kew gardens.
I think I read they are still in some places like Asia? Just not Central or South America for decades.