The story begins with the extinction of a once dominant banana species due to Panama disease (TR1) in the 1950s. A resistant variety has taken its place, but it is now under threat from TR4, which is spreading rapidly all over the world. The savior may be QCAV-4, armed with a wild banana genome.
After rigorous testing, regulators found QCAV-4 to be as safe and nutritious as regular bananas. But ministers still have 60 days to apply for a review.
Although QCAV-4 has been approved for agricultural use, immediate large-scale production or sale to consumers is not planned in Australia due to local outbreaks of TR4. Other countries facing significant TR4 challenges may more easily adopt QCAV-4.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
