Kevin Folta | Genetic Literacy Project | January 11, 2018
I stood in a field of tall banana plants and had to hold back tears. The large green leaves from rows of evenly spaced plants created a dense ceiling above us, and formed a cave behind us as we clumsily trekked across the ruts and mounds in shoes designed more for the ballroom than the plantation. A group of scientists and journalists from Ghana, the UK, Uganda, and the USA made their way to the heart of the field as the sun rapidly set on the National Agriculture Research Laboratory (NARL) in Kawanda, Uganda..........Production of this dietary cornerstone is under threat. A bacterial disease known as banana Xanthamonas wilt (BXW) infects the plants, and they rapidly succumb in deadly decline. The disease first presents as a notable decrease in vigor, followed by leaves that yellow, wilt, and die.
The farmers of the region refer to their simple plot of crops as their “garden,” which says a lot. There is intimacy in a garden that separates it from a farm. It is personal. Their garden feeds them, sustains their families. Each plant is special and honored.
When the disease hits it spreads rapidly through matooke garden, leading to devastating losses. Once symptoms are present the trees must be cut down and burned. A new productive replacement tree takes years to grow. The garden lives as disease dictates.........To Read More.....
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