Commonly called roundworms, nematodes and are some of the most destructive pathogens damaging banana and plantain crops world-wide. Chemical nemacides have been banned in most of the world due to their dangerous toxic and carcinogenic nature.

Now, Israel’s Rahan Meristem has developed banana plants resistant to nematodes - a development set to save banana growers globally millions of dollars in lost crops.

Improvement of banana strains has been slow due to the banana plant’s natural sterility, but lengthy field testing and genetic modification have now yielded excellent results: plants immune to the parasitic organisms.

"We are very pleased with our accomplishment of creating genetically engineered banana varieties that were proven highly resistant to root nematodes,” Rahan ceo Onn Barzilai said. “Our unique technology will also be used to improve additional crops against nematodes in a sustainable and safe manner."

Rahan Meristem was founded in 1974 by members of Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, located on Israel’s coastal border with Lebanon. Since the mid-1980s, the company has focused on a small variety of plants, and in vitro propagated banana plants became the leading product. The company employs 110 people, and aside from its main office in northern Israel, maintains agencies in Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Serbia and Croatia.

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