North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["gorgon zolla" <lazolla@hotmail.com>]

I too had read the doom-and-gloom predictions about banana production.  But 
in my limited reading, it would appear that fungal diseases, insect pests, 
and nematodes have been major problems in commercial banana culture for 
decades.  It hardly seems that another new race of fusarium could spell the 
end of the industry.  Fusarium-resistant varieties and cultivars have been 
produced for so many plants that the process is predictable and well 
understood.  The only things unique to the banana are the relative paucity 
of research dollars and the supposed difficulty of breeding.  Though, an 18 
month seed-to-seed cycle doesn't seem that long compared to, say, pears.

I wasn't going to mention this because it seems so foolish, but I do have 
three varieties of banana plants on order from a nursery in Florida and will 
be trying to grow them out in pots.  I'm hoping they will flower in the late 
summer heat next year and thus set fruit.  They are: dwarf Cavendish, dwarf 
Oronoco, and dwarf Brazilian.  Said to be among the more suitable for potted 
culture.  I'll provide a full report in the unlikely event that they do 
anything.

On a culinary note, I remember visiting West Palm Beach once on business and 
being given a few bananas from the backyard tree of a colleague who lived 
there.  The fruit were delightful, somewhat sweeter and more flavorful than 
the storebought varieties.  I imagine that the improved quality had more to 
do with freshness than climate, variety, or culture.

Steve Dunlop
Nerstrand, MN (Zone 4)

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