Developing hybrid banana varieties with improved properties

Banana production in Brazil includes different types of cultivars, with the Prata cultivar accounting for 70% of the crop area, followed by the Cavendish, Maçã, and plantain cultivars. In 2019, Brazil produced approximately 7 million tons of bananas in an area of 465,000 ha, which makes it one of the largest banana-producing countries in the world, together with India, China, and Indonesia. The main challenges of banana production in Brazil include fungal diseases, namely the black Sigatoka and Fusarium wilt race 1. It is worth noting that the Prata cultivars are susceptible to these diseases. Considering that the best strategy to mitigate the effects of these diseases is the use of resistant cultivars, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) created a program for the genetic improvement of banana production in 1976, which is still in use today.