World's most popular banana variety could go extinct: study

Scientists in Taiwan have begun finding a solution to the issue and have exposed the Cavendish seedling to TR4 to make the fruit resistant to the fungus. (Representational Image).

Fruit lovers might want to stay clear of this news. The Cavendish banana, considered the most popular variety of the fruit globally, could become extinct due to a fungal attack, a Business Insider report said.

The Cavendish banana, which is eaten by 47 per cent of the human population worldwide, is under attack by a fungus called Panama disease (Fusarium wilt) tropical race 4 (TR4).

"Nobody is even close to solving the problem," Dan Koeppel, who wrote the book "Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World", said.

The banana infection reportedly derives in the tree's roots and metastasizes to other parts of the plant, preventing the fruit of food or water and leading to its eventual death.

Incidentally, TR4's predecessor- tropical race 1- had caused the extinction of another popular banana variety-Gros Michel-in the early 20th century.  However, due to continuous advancements in the field of medicine, experts felt that there was still a long way to go before the Cavendish variety disappeared completely.

"We have at least a decade before the impact is drastic. I would say with certainty that there will be a solution before the export market for Cavendish is severely affected," Dan Bebber, a biosciences lecturer at the University of Exeter, said.

Scientists in Taiwan have started finding a solution to the issue and have exposed the Cavendish seedling to TR4 to make the fruit resistant to the fungus.

The TR4 fungus was first discovered in 1989 in Taiwan and has spread to leading banana producing countries such as China and parts of Africa and Middle East, as well.