Taiwan Lab Breeds Bananas To Resist TR4 Strain Behind Spread of Panama Disease – TaiwanPlus

Commercial banana production across the globe is facing an existential threat from Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes Panama disease, starving plants and destroying plantations. In response, the Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI) in Pingtung has unveiled "Tai-chiao No. 9"—the world's first TR4-resistant plantlet bred from the Williams banana variety. Developed over five years of testing thousands of samples, the variety boasts both high immunity and superior harvest yields. As researchers wait for more local farmers to try planting it, they hope to one day export the breakthrough technology to assist affected farming communities in Southeast Asia and Latin America.