Taiwan Research Institute Unveils Disease-Resistant Banana Variety

The Taiwan Banana Research Institute has introduced a new banana variety, named Tai-Chiao No. 9 (TC9), engineered to resist Panama disease. This breakthrough is anticipated to significantly impact the global banana supply, an essential fruit crop, and safeguard banana production worldwide.

The research team, which includes associate researcher Chen Ho-ming from the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center at Academia Sinica and experts from National Taiwan University (NTU), discovered that specific chromosomal deletions in Taiwanese bananas substantially enhance their resistance to Panama disease. This disease, particularly its tropical race 4 (TR4) variant, poses a grave threat to banana plantations, causing widespread destruction and leaving pathogens in the soil for decades.

The institute has a history of developing disease-resistant banana varieties. Chiu Chu-ying, the director of the institute, emphasized that the groundwork for understanding the connection between the TR4 fungus and Panama disease was laid in 1967 by NTU’s plant pathology and microbiology professor Su Hong-ji. Since then, the institute has engaged in extensive research, screening banana seedlings for disease resistance through methods such as tissue culture and seedling propagation.

Over the past ten years, Chen has collaborated with the institute to identify genetic differences between resistant and susceptible banana varieties. His analysis revealed that the presence of large chromosomal deletions in the resistant Taiwanese varieties, including TC9, is crucial for boosting resistance to Panama disease. This finding underscores the importance of structural variations in chromosomes for advancing banana breeding techniques.

Research findings have been documented in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Although Chen is currently analyzing TC9’s molecular markers, he has not yet disclosed details publicly due to significant agricultural commercial interests. The Ministry of Agriculture has also applied for plant breeders’ rights for this new variety.

The Williams variety is the dominant global banana cultivar, largely cultivated in the Philippines and Latin America, but it has shown little resistance to Panama disease. In contrast, TC9 is developed from the Williams variety and boasts at least 70 percent resistance to Panama disease, a promising advantage for future banana cultivation.

While TC9’s plant breeders’ rights have been confirmed in Taiwan, the institute must secure rights from other countries before exporting seedlings. Given that bananas reproduce asexually, there are concerns about potential intellectual property theft if the new variety’s sprouts are not adequately protected.

The introduction of TC9 marks a significant advancement in the battle against Panama disease, potentially reshaping the agricultural landscape for bananas and enhancing food security worldwide. The Taiwan Banana Research Institute continues to play a pivotal role in developing resilient agricultural solutions to combat this longstanding threat.