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Selective breeding of bananas? Culinary bananas are sterile and grown exclusively from cuttings. Also, the Cavendish is a lot less sweet than the previous ban
by timcederman 17y ago
Selective breeding of bananas? Culinary bananas are sterile and grown exclusively from cuttings. Also, the Cavendish is a lot less sweet than the previous banana of choice, the Gros Michel (which was sadly not as fungus resistant).
- maxharris 17y agoYes, like most fruits, bananas are sterile polyploids that have to be replicated from grafts. However, the intent of his post is still correct - these grafts are selected to ensure high sweetness and sugar content. It's not very different with other commercial fruits (See Michael Pollan's Botany of Desire for a similar story on apples.)
- timcederman 17y agoI guess I was surprised by the example, as the modern commonplace banana (in the western world at least) is very static.