Wageningen Researchers and Partners Develop First Banana Resistant to TR4 and Black Sigatoka

Researchers at Wageningen University and Research, in collaboration with Chiquita, KeyGene, and MusaRadix have developed a new hybrid banana plant named Yelloway One that is resistant to two of the most destructive diseases for bananas, Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and Black Sigatoka.

The development of Yelloway One is a major breakthrough and comes at a critical time for global banana cultivation. In recent years, TR4 and Black Sigatoka have caused significant damage, resulting in losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Yelloway One is resistant to TR4, a fungus capable of devastating entire plantations, and Black Sigatoka, a leaf disease that drastically reduces yields. Both diseases have been long-standing threats to the banana industry, particularly to the widely exported Cavendish banana.

The research team used a combination of traditional crossbreeding techniques and modern DNA analysis technology to accelerate the process of developing Yelloway One. This allowed them to select new varieties with desired traits, such as disease resistance, more quickly and efficiently. Yelloway One is still a prototype and is currently being grown in a greenhouse in the Netherlands. The plants will soon be sent to regions in the Philippines and Indonesia, where TR4 and Black Sigatoka have caused significant damage.

For more details, read the news article in Wageningen University and Research website.