Scientists in Rwanda have made a case for genetically modified banana varieties that are resistant to the Panama disease – a devastating wilting disease of bananas caused by a soil-inhabiting fungus species – to be able to save two varieties that are on the verge of extinction.
Genetic modification [of crops] is a technology that involves inserting DNA into the genome of an organism.
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Panama disease, one of the most severe threats facing the banana industry worldwide, has, in the past 10 years, spread from Southeast Asia,where it was restricted for almost 20 years, to other parts of the world including Africa. The two banana varieties affected by the disease are locally known as Kamaramasenge (a type of small sweet banana) and Gros Michel bananas.
The disease has no cure as it resists all existing fungicides, although some local bananas known as the East African Highland banana variety only existing in the Centrea East African region have developed natural immunity to the Panama disease.
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The New Times caught up with Pacifique Nshimiyimana, a banana farmer and agricultural scientist at Alliance for Science Rwanda, who shed light on the disease and the need for agriculture biotechnology as a solution to save the staple food in Rwanda.
The banana sub-sector covers about 23 per cent of the entire cultivated land in Rwanda.
He said: "The banana crop is among major staple foods in Rwanda that most Rwandans consume every day. There are popular varieties such as Kamara, a type of small sweet banana and Gros Michel bananas, which provide ripe bananas, that are on the verge of extinction due to Panama disease.
"Other varieties under extinction include those known as Gisubi and Kayinja that are used to produce banana beer. Genetically modified banana varieties could save them from extinction.”
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He said that the disease persists in the soil for a period of 35 years.
"It requires cutting down the whole banana plantation when the field is attacked, and replacing it with other varieties. That is why some varieties are disappearing. Kamara, and Gros Michel varieties could totally disappear in the next few years. Scientists in Australia have already produced genetically modified banana varieties that are resistant to Panama disease.”
Due to Panama disease affecting the two varieties, the prices have gone up on the market.
"One small hand of Kamara banana type is Rwf1,000 while one finger of ripe Gros Michel banana is between Rwf150 and Rwf100. Any solution that could save this banana type is needed,” said Godelive Akimana, a fruit vendor in Musanze District.
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Scientists in Australia submitted the first genetically modified fruit of banana to regulators there for approval.
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The banana fruit, known as QCAV-4, has been genetically modified to resist a fungus known as Panama disease tropical race 4 (TR4), which is threatening the banana industry.
If approved, it could be the first GM banana to be approved worldwide.
A survey in Rwanda, Burundi, north-western Tanzania (Kagera and Kigoma regions) and eastern DR Congo (South Kivu Province), to investigate the distribution and incidence of Panama disease found that it is generally high in the region, as 54.1 percent of all farms had a disease incidence higher than 40 percent, with Tanzania having the highest (63.6 percent).
The disease was first reported on two commercial banana farms in 2013 in Mozambique.
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According to Athanase Nduwumuremyi, a senior scientist at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) who is also coordinator of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) in Rwanda, GM crops that are resistant to diseases could address food insecurity and malnutrition once adopted.
"Urbanization is reducing arable land and 1.4 million hectares of arable land currently can’t feed over 13 million population if we do not embrace technology to increase production on a small scale since one farmer in Rwanda grows crops on 0.6 hectare as average. There is optimism that GM crops could be used because the law to use GM crops has been passed by parliament,” he said.
While conventional methods can produce new crop varieties within a period of over 10 years, he said, GMO biotechnology could take two years.
In December 2023, Rwanda passed a bill governing GMO crops.
Rwanda is finalising a legal and regulatory framework for safe use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to Patrick Karangwa, the Director General of Agriculture Modernisation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.
Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)’s Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources also carried out oversight activities to assess policies and laws on GMOs within the East African Community.