The new Belluni banana has been undergoing tests for 15 years and is now hitting the market. The product is resistant to pests and has more nutritional qualities.
This new banana variety, developed in the south Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, is resistant to all major diseases affecting banana trees, so it promises to be a profitable alternative for producers, as shown by RBS TV.
"There are three diseases that affect banana farming in Brazil and in the world, which are Yellow Sigatoka, Black Sigatoka and Panama Disease. The Belluna is resistant to Yellow Sigatoka and Panama Disease, and is moderately resistant to Black Sigatoka; therefore, in terms of resistance, it has an advantage over the varieties that are on the market today," stated Edson Perito Amorin, who is responsible for the breeding program of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).
15 years of research have been necessary to reach this result. Epagri received the first seedlings in the 1990’s for testing on various rural properties in the South. These tests for genetic improvement were carried out in partnership with Embrapa. The new variety has already been registered at the Ministry of Agriculture and can already be sold on the market.
