It's hard to turn down a tasty banana. They taste good and you don't have to wash them before eating them. However, British scientists say that the fruit may disappear by 2050.
One reason for this is climate(气候) change. Scientists at the University of Exeter collected data(数据) from 27 countries and regions that produce 86 percent of the world's bananas. They found that climate change has improved growing conditions in 21 of these countries. In the past 60 years, the average yield(平均产量) has reached 1.37 tons of bananas per hectare(公顷).
However, if temperatures keep rising, this advantage will disappear. Ten of the countries, including India, the world's biggest producer of bananas, will produce fewer bananas. By 2050, the fruit may die out.
Shouldn't bananas grow more easily if it's hotter outside? In fact, the perfect temperature range for growing bananas is between 24 and 32 C. If temperatures get too high, they will stop growing.
Diseases are another danger to bananas. Unlike other crops, the bananas we grow come from shoot cuttings(茎段) rather than seeds. This means that all banana plants have the same genotype(基因型). In other words, if a disease is able to kill one plant, it could kill them all.
One serious disease is called Panama. Caused by fungus(真菌) in the soil, it spreads easily. It has spread across South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia. If one banana plantation(种植园) suffers from the disease, it will take 30 years until it is able to grow bananas again. Scientists have yet to find a cure for this disease.
