An essential variety in danger The Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata), which accounts for around 47% of bananas consumed worldwide, is now threatened by a devastating fungal disease: Panama disease ...

Cavendish bananas, with a monospecific Musa acuminata origin (AAA), dominate global production and are critical for food security in less-developed countries.

Why Cavendish bananas dominate the global market There are over 1,000 varieties of bananas, but about 47% that humans eat are Cavendish bananas (Musa acuminata).

QCAV-4 is a Cavendish Grand Nain banana that has been bioengineered with a single gene, RGA2, from the wild, south-east Asian banana, Musa acuminata ssp malaccensis. Cavendish bananas already contain ...