Author: Amy Spear

India is the world’s largest banana producer and, although it grows more than 20 cultivars, it relies heavily on Cavendish writes Dr Thangavelu (Thanga) Raman. India grows 28 million tonnes annually or 19 per cent of global production of bananas and plantains. The country has 800,000 hectares under banana production. India is a…

French agriculture student Kévin de Cozar was looking for work experience in tropical crop protection when he came to North Queensland. Unexpectedly, he got an insight into one of Australia’s biggest crop-protection issues, Panama TR4. Kévin answers our Life Science questions. Kévin, why did you choose to come…

Lightning strikes frequently hit banana plants in North Queensland causing leaf damage that looks similar to TR4 symptoms. Growers are urged to report all suspect plants and not assume electrical storms are the cause of damage. Visiting Montpellier SupAgro University student Kévin de Cozar reports. After an electrical…

Mena Creek organic banana grower Matt Abbott will look at opportunities for niche banana exports as part of a scholarship awarded in September. Matt is the banana industry’s 2016 Nuffield Scholar and will study marketing and category diversification, including the possibilities for branding and export markets for organic bananas. He…

Two of Australia’s biggest banana growers, the MacKays and Howes, have trialed a new insecticide developed to control weevil borer and rust thrips while avoiding mite flare-ups. Bayer in August registered the stem-injectable product, Movento Energy, for use in bananas after seven years of development. It follows on from the company’s Bayer’s Confidor…

An Israeli agricultural biotechnology company is considering two Australian field trials of tissue-cultured banana plants and a collaboration on Panama-resistant varieties. Several North Queensland growers visited the Israel operations of the company, Rahan Meristem, earlier this year. The trip was hosted by plant nutrition company Haifa Australia,…

Disaster struck not once, but twice at Queensland’s newly established and most northerly commercial banana farm. Research scientist Jeff Daniells and farm general manager Ken Reid tell the story of Hope Vale Banana Farm’s recovery. Hope Vale Banana Farm had achieved several milestones by early 2014. The…