A Fungus Among Us!

Fungi, though not actually plants in the way that we think of them, are really quite different. One of the main characteristics of "plant life" is that they make their own foods. Fungi don't do this. Instead, they forage for outside nutrients like an animals do! Unfortunately, sometimes this behavior of fungi can harm the livelihood of plant life.

Have you ever had a "banana flavored" candy or medicine and thought that you have NEVER had a banana like that before? Well, it's not because the flavor is bad, it's because if you're under the age of 48, there's a pretty good chance you've never tasted that kind of banana! There used to be a type of banana called the Gros Michel (translates to "Fat Mike" in French) that was considered the "best tasting banana in the world." The banana we eat now is called the Cavendish, and is all-around less tasty than its counter part.

Musa acuminata: The "Fat Mike" strain of banana. Looks a lot bigger from your grocery store bananas, right?

You might be thinking, "I want a Fat Mike! I don't want the teeny tiny bananas at Target?!" But here's why you've been getting a second rate banana experience. Fungus. About 50-55 years ago, a fungi named "Banana Wilt" or, later, "Panama Disease" developed from a non-harmful fungi called Fusarium. This disease jumped continents and spread from farm to farm, essentially wiping out the Gros Michel banana strain.

Below: Banana infected w/ Panama Disease, F. oxysporum, Banana Tree w/ Banana Wilt

Thankfully, there was a viable strain of banana that was resistant to the fungi, the Cavendish Banana. It wasn't as big or as tasty, but it grew and propagated quickly and yielded a satisfactory number of bananas. This was able to save the multi-billion dollar industry from utter ruin. This Cavendish banana was able to provide nutrition and income to many rural farmers and their hometowns across the world.

Musa acuminata: The Cavendish Banana Strain that saved the industry

But now it's happening again! F. oxysporum is back in a strain called Tropical Race 4, and it's ravished the world's supply of Cavendish. The only continent that hasn't been effected yet is South America, which produces three-fifths of the world's banana supply. But F. oxysporum has jumped continents before, and there's not a viable replacement this time.

So stay tuned, and cherish your bananas while you've got 'em.