Banana's Heading For Extinction

If you love a good banana, you had better make the most of them because they might not exist in five to 10 years.

According to plant pathologist Ioannis Stergiopoulos, a fast-advancing disease compound, known as the Sigatoka complex, could be a lethal threat to the world's banana supply.

The Sigatoka complex is made up of three fungal diseases - yellow Sigatoka, eumusae leaf spot and black Sigatoka.

Of the three, black Sigatoka poses the greatest risk to the 100 million tonnes of bananas grown annually in almost 120 countries.

The discovery was reported online in PLOS Genetics.

Read the full science behind it all at nzherald.co.nz