jasmine

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The Toughest Banana!
Cuba develops anti hurracaine crops
AOL Latino,
Posted: 2009-06-26 16:46:28
Filed Under: Latino News in English
The Cuban government just announced their lastest victory by their revolutionary forces and against one of their worst enemies - hurricanes.

Scientists from Cuba's Institute of Plant Biotechnology (IBP in Spanish) are working on a new kind of seed that will produce tough hurricane-proof bananas.

Pedro Orellana a scientist of the Central University of Las Villas said to the official Cuban newspaper, The Granma, that the seeds are genetically modified and will generate smaller plants which could better survive the strong winds and heavy rain that hurricanes bring every year to the Caribbean.

The new seeds are a combination of a plantain species named "Cavendish Enano" (dwarf Cavendish) and of a banana species called "Burro Enano" (dwarf mule).



Orellana noted that the reproduction of the seeds is made "in vitro" or in a laboratory, modifying a normal cell, and then creating embryos to reproduce the new plant that will not grow larger than two meters high or about 78 inches.

The size of the plant is important because then the farm workers could use machines to fumigate them and also humanizes the labor needed to cultivate and tend to the plants.

The new plants will face their first test in a 98 acre farm located in the Ciego de Avila province, almost 250 miles west of Havana. The first batch of these tough bananas is expected to be ready next month.

The Cuban government said that last year 3 hurricanes caused losses of 10 billion dollars to the island. Almost of all the destruction was concentrated in the agriculture sector, especially to plantain and bananas plant cultivation.

Since 1981, Fidel Castro and the Cuban government have invested heavily in bio tech and pharmaceutical industries.

They continue to pour millions of dollars in the development of specialized plants and drugs wich besides meant to improve the conditions in the island, can also be exported as technology and know-how.

It stands to see how these tough bananas will fare against Pacific typhoons.


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I wish people would stop screwing with the food chain. It messes up our meat, fruits, veggies, dairy.....

SurferGirl

I wonder if they will taste like a regular banana.
A plantain taste different than a banana.

Bahet

A plantain is not a banana. Tha's like comparing oranges to peaches. There are similarities but they aren't the same thing.

Vee030473

A plantain is a member of the banana family. I was wondering the same thing too about the taste. Since they are crossing a plantain with a banana,will it be less sweet and more starchy like a plantain?

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