Ecuador receives a second banana variety resistant to FOC R4T

Tomorrow, April 18, Ecuador will receive a second banana variety resistant to tropical Fusarium race 4 (FOC R4T), known as GAL and from Israel. Trials will soon be carried out in the country following established biosafety protocols.

 

This initiative reflects the commitment of both the authorities and the private sector to protect the sustainability of national banana production against tropical Fusarium race 4. The GAL variety joins the Formosana 218, imported in April 2022, as part of the efforts of the Banana and Platan Cluster of Ecuador to diversify cultivation options against the risk of this fungus. Ecuador, whose main export variety is the Cavendish (after the disappearance of the Gros Michel variety due to Fusarium race 1), faces the threat of Fusarium race 4, which has already been detected in neighboring countries such as Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

 

Trials with the Formosana variety continue, with final results expected in 2025. The process with the GAL variety could take up to 24 months of testing. In addition, virtual conferences have been initiated to discuss FOCR4T-resistant varieties and the analysis of transgenic options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

source: eluniverso.com