Bananas and plantains are major fruit crops in the tropics and
subtropics, making a vital contribution to the economies of many
countries. In the last 15 years, substantial changes have occurred in
banana production, among them the increased importance of fungal and
viral diseases and their serious impact on Cavendish export cultivars,
smallholder plantains and cooking bananas. Changes in production systems
such as protected greenhouse cultivation, organic, fair-trade and
integrated cultivation and their respective certification schemes have
also become prominent. This book provides an accessible review of the
scientific principles of banana production and how these relate to field
practices. This new edition has expanded coverage of world trade
statistics and policies, breeding of new cultivars in relation to
disease resistance and markets, prospects for genetically-modified
bananas and the increasing role of endophytes in controlling pests and
diseases.