Comments on: The Banana Genome http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/ Your Daily Fix of Neuroscience, Skepticism, and Critical Thinking Sat, 25 May 2013 05:44:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: ccbowers http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44579 ccbowers Fri, 27 Jul 2012 03:35:01 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44579 One chain of supermarkets where I live in upstate New York carries those small thin skinned sweet bananas that come in a semicircle bunch, which I believe are the lady finger type you are refering to, but it is an exceptional supermarket and isnt probably representative of the US in general. Other more typical grocer stores or supermarkets do not carry this type. I tried them several years ago and did not notice a significant difference other than size and skin thickness. Perhaps I will try them again One chain of supermarkets where I live in upstate New York carries those small thin skinned sweet bananas that come in a semicircle bunch, which I believe are the lady finger type you are refering to, but it is an exceptional supermarket and isnt probably representative of the US in general. Other more typical grocer stores or supermarkets do not carry this type. I tried them several years ago and did not notice a significant difference other than size and skin thickness. Perhaps I will try them again

]]> By: DevoutCatalyst http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44551 DevoutCatalyst Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:47:07 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44551 BillyJoe7, my local grocer says they're available, but they don't sell well here. Go figure. Hobbyists have access to all manner of banana varieties in the USA, http://going-bananas.com/bananaplantdescriptions.htm BillyJoe7, my local grocer says they’re available, but they don’t sell well here. Go figure. Hobbyists have access to all manner of banana varieties in the USA,

http://going-bananas.com/bananaplantdescriptions.htm

]]> By: BillyJoe7 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44550 BillyJoe7 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:30:02 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44550 Do you have Lady Finger bananas in America? They are about the best tasting of all the Australian varieties. http://www.australiantropicalfruits.org.au/tropical_fruits/produce_types/banana/lady_finger/ Do you have Lady Finger bananas in America?
They are about the best tasting of all the Australian varieties.

http://www.australiantropicalfruits.org.au/tropical_fruits/produce_types/banana/lady_finger/

]]> By: ccbowers http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44548 ccbowers Thu, 26 Jul 2012 04:28:49 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44548 "Yeah – I never understood why there were so many varieties of apples, pears, oranges, grapes, etc..." One obstacle is the price of bananas. Per pound they are among the least expensive fruit in a supermarket. In the US, bananas are primarily eaten as a sweet fruit, so many bananas which are starchier (plantains) are really a different type of food altogether, as they are eaten and cooked more like potatoes or sweet potatoes. Introducing a new type of sweet banana is difficult, because the marketing would need to find an angle to overcome the initial hesitation of trying something new plus the need to justify a higher price for something viewed traditionally as an inexpensive food. The large number of apple varietals that have become popular lately have had names with marketing in mind, but they differential themselves by various attributes: crisp versus soft, sweet versus tart, and various flavor characteristics, depending on personal preferences- or if needed for cooking applications. Bananas are not viewed as having distinguishing characteristics in the US, because there is really only one sweet banana type widely available. “Yeah – I never understood why there were so many varieties of apples, pears, oranges, grapes, etc…”

One obstacle is the price of bananas. Per pound they are among the least expensive fruit in a supermarket. In the US, bananas are primarily eaten as a sweet fruit, so many bananas which are starchier (plantains) are really a different type of food altogether, as they are eaten and cooked more like potatoes or sweet potatoes. Introducing a new type of sweet banana is difficult, because the marketing would need to find an angle to overcome the initial hesitation of trying something new plus the need to justify a higher price for something viewed traditionally as an inexpensive food.

The large number of apple varietals that have become popular lately have had names with marketing in mind, but they differential themselves by various attributes: crisp versus soft, sweet versus tart, and various flavor characteristics, depending on personal preferences- or if needed for cooking applications. Bananas are not viewed as having distinguishing characteristics in the US, because there is really only one sweet banana type widely available.

]]> By: Pjaypt http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44538 Pjaypt Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:27:03 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44538 "Obviously the atheist’s worst nightmare. I don’t know if I heard about it on the SGU or another podcast, but there’s a whole book on the history of the banana called “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World”" I found this very fruitful: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=7BA7726C-EBE6-29DB-B21F7FF464B293E9 I should warn I went bananas after hearing this podcast! :-) “Obviously the atheist’s worst nightmare. I don’t know if I heard about it on the SGU or another podcast, but there’s a whole book on the history of the banana called “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World””

I found this very fruitful:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=7BA7726C-EBE6-29DB-B21F7FF464B293E9

I should warn I went bananas after hearing this podcast! :-)

]]> By: davew http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44533 davew Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:54:50 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44533 In Hawaii once I got to sample a few different kinds of bananas. One was 1/3 the size of the Cavendish, dark brown when ripe, and utterly delicious. In Hawaii once I got to sample a few different kinds of bananas. One was 1/3 the size of the Cavendish, dark brown when ripe, and utterly delicious.

]]> By: Mlema http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44523 Mlema Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:00:39 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44523 decreased diversity threatens the world's agriculture. Monsanto, the biggest global threat to plant diversity, needs to be reined in. http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_genetic_engineering/eight-ways-monsanto-fails.html decreased diversity threatens the world’s agriculture. Monsanto, the biggest global threat to plant diversity, needs to be reined in.

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_genetic_engineering/eight-ways-monsanto-fails.html

]]> By: ChrisH http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44522 ChrisH Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:54:35 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44522 <blockquote>A century ago the primary commercial banana variety being shipped to industrial nations was not the Cavendish but the Gros Michel. This was a larger, creamier, and by all accounts better variety of M. acuminata than the Cavendish we have today. It was wiped out (not extinct, but not commercially viable) by the early 1960s, and was replaced with the Cavendish. </blockquote> I wonder if they could find some of Gros Michel bananas if they could also get its genome, and use it to create another slow ripening tasty banana that can be shipped.

A century ago the primary commercial banana variety being shipped to industrial nations was not the Cavendish but the Gros Michel. This was a larger, creamier, and by all accounts better variety of M. acuminata than the Cavendish we have today. It was wiped out (not extinct, but not commercially viable) by the early 1960s, and was replaced with the Cavendish.

I wonder if they could find some of Gros Michel bananas if they could also get its genome, and use it to create another slow ripening tasty banana that can be shipped.

]]> By: sonic http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44520 sonic Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:35:01 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44520 It does seem that having genetic diversity is a good way to assure future food supply. I have two gardens now-- one that feeds just two-- the other is good for 5 now, we are expanding it for 20 people. When I plant I usually plant a few different cultivars of each food. Some years one cultivar will do well and another not so well. The next year it might be the other way around. What is odd is that the cultivars that do well in one garden one year might be the ones that do poorly in the other garden that year... and the gardens aren't very far apart. So from a personal experience kinda deal-- genetic diversity is a good way to assure food production. This is a big deal in the farm world now-- if you want to support this you can buy 'heirloom' cultivars (heirloom in this case means 'breeds true'... a special definition). Dr.N.- good luck with the bananas. It does seem that having genetic diversity is a good way to assure future food supply.
I have two gardens now– one that feeds just two– the other is good for 5 now, we are expanding it for 20 people.
When I plant I usually plant a few different cultivars of each food. Some years one cultivar will do well and another not so well. The next year it might be the other way around.
What is odd is that the cultivars that do well in one garden one year might be the ones that do poorly in the other garden that year… and the gardens aren’t very far apart.
So from a personal experience kinda deal– genetic diversity is a good way to assure food production.
This is a big deal in the farm world now– if you want to support this you can buy ‘heirloom’ cultivars (heirloom in this case means ‘breeds true’… a special definition).

Dr.N.-
good luck with the bananas.

]]> By: HHC http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-banana-genome/comment-page-1/#comment-44519 HHC Tue, 24 Jul 2012 21:45:05 +0000 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=4682#comment-44519 I like the baby bananas from Equador. I like the baby bananas from Equador.

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