An Israeli biotech company has developed banana plants that are
completely resistant to pathogenic nematodes, which are parasitic
organisms that normally damage the plants and their fruit.
Nematodes, commonly called roundworms, and are some of the most
destructive pathogens damaging banana and plantain crops across the
globe. Chemical nemacides have been banned in most of the world due
to their dangerous toxic and carcinogenic nature.
Israel's Rahan Meristem biotechnology company has now developed
banana plants resistant to nematodes, a development that will save
banana growers the world over millions of dollars in lost crops.
Up to this point, improvement of banana strains has been slow due to
the banana plant's natural sterility, but lengthy field testing and
genetic modification have now yielded excellent results: plants
immune to the parasitic organisms.
Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, located on Israel's coastal border with
Lebanon. Initially, Rahan's workers developed new procedures for
large-scale propagation of over two hundred plant different kinds of
plants, including ornamental, industrial, fruit and vegetable crops.
By the mid 1980's, the company focused on a smaller variety of
plants, and in vitro propagated banana plants became the leading
product. "Combined with the high level of pre-existing expertise of
banana agrotechnology on Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, Rahan became a center
of research and consultation for the banana industry throughout the
world," the company's web site claims.
The company currently employs 110 people, and aside from its main
office in northern Israel, maintains agencies in Costa Rica, Brazil,
Colombia, Serbia and Croatia.