Scientists May Have a Way to Stop Banana Apocalypse

They've pinpointed genetic resistance to a devastating fungus
Posted Feb 24, 2026 8:32 AM CST
Bananas May Soon Get a Break From a Devastating Fungus
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/szakalikus)

Bananas may not be doomed after all. Australian researchers say they've pinpointed a key stretch of DNA that helps some bananas fend off a major fungal threat—a finding they hope will keep the $140 billion global industry from repeating the near-wipeout of the Gros Michel variety in the 1950s. Scientists at the University of Queensland identified a resistance region on chromosome 5 in a wild banana known as Calcutta 4 that protects against Sub Tropical Race 4, or STR4, a form of fusarium wilt afflicting Cavendish bananas in subtropical zones, per Popular Science.

For their study published in Horticulture Research, the scientists spent five years crossbreeding Calcutta 4 with vulnerable bananas and tracking which offspring survived exposure to the fungus. The wild plant's fruit isn't commercially viable, but its genes are: Researchers now plan to develop molecular markers so breeders can quickly screen seedlings for the resistance trait.

"This will speed up selection, reduce costs, and hopefully ultimately lead to a banana that is good to eat, easy to farm, and naturally protected from fusarium wilt through its genetics," study co-author Andrew Chen says in a statement. With more than 400 million people depending on bananas for a significant share of their calories, Fresh Del Monte's CEO recently warned that safeguarding the crop—and the livelihoods tied to it—"is our shared responsibility," per Popular Science.

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