permaculture

["Charles de Matas" <cdematas@hotmail.com>]

<<Indeed, it was exactly this process that did in the Cavendish's
predecessor. In the 1950s, Britons ate a different banana from the one now
munched. In those days, the banana of choice was the Gros Michel, until it
was assailed by Panama disease and was wiped out. Now the Gros Michel is an
ex-banana.>>

  Commercially the Gros Michel may be an ex-banana, but it is much superior 
in taste to the cavendish type.  The Gros Michel is the highest priced 
banana grown here in Trinidad.  My brother grows them on a small scale 
without pesticides or artificial fertilizers.  They produce massive bunches. 
I usually buy smaller varieties like the silkfig which is my favourite.    
When I was studying in the U.S. I longed to taste a good banana, the 
commercial varieties like the cavendish just cannot compare.
  I agree that organic methods are the way to go.  The banana companies 
plant huge monocultures and when inevitably disease breaks out they look for 
a technological fix, like heavy spraying of biocides, or genetic 
modification.  Bananas can be grown among other trees like cocoa, coffee, 
inga, erythrina, etc. Some varieties do better in partial shade. Others do 
better in full sunlight, but even these can be interplanted with pigeon peas 
or a leguminous ground cover.

Charles.

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