Economic Relevance
Bananas are ranked as the fourth most cultivated crop in the world and constitute a significant portion of many populations' caloric intake. While this includes all cultivars, the Grand Nain has become one of the most popular varieties for commercial plantations. Its characteristic medium height and large fruit yields make it ideal for commercial agriculture. The moderate height allows easy harvesting and some resistance to windthrow (plants breaking due to strong winds). The seedless quality of the fruits also increases its popularity. Plantations growing Grand Naines range from the tropical regions of Central America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. In many tropical communities, entire local economies are based upon banana production and exportation.
Because of its importance as a staple crop as well as a cash crop, much botanical research has focused around the Grand Nain. Furthermore, its lack of genetic diversity eliminates unwanted experimental variables increasing the validity of observed results. Of particular interest is banana plant sensitivity to aluminum which slows growth and causes leaf abnormalities. Researchers found that introducing different species of mycorrhizal fungi can increase aluminum toxicity resistance. Also because of the sterility of most banana cultivars, another concern eliciting research is the inability to breed banana plants resistant to disease. For this reason, researchers have experimented with inducing genetic mutations in the hopes of creating more economical plants.
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