Test-Tube Bananas Give New Hope to Philippine Farmers

The Philippines is the world’s fourth top banana producer and the second largest exporter, with 2.3 million tons valued at around $404 million exported last year. Of the total area around the world, which is planted to banana, 9.38% is found in the Philippines. However, there has been significant reduction in the areas of banana cultivation in the country because of numerous pests, especially the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). Infestation by the BBTV forced the farmers in Northern provinces of the Philippines to eradicate all their banana plants.

In 2004, the Department of Agrarian Reform and Isabela State University started the distribution of tissue culture-derived and disease-free banana to farmers. At first, farmers were apprehensive with the technology, since tissue culture plantlets are small and difficult to raise. But after the first planting season, farmers adopted the technology because of increase in yield. Using the disease-free and tissue-cultured banana plantlets has eradicated as much as 85% of the BBTV disease in Northern parts of the Philippines.

For more information contact  Sonny Tababa of the SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center at spt@agri.searca.org.