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.