Taiwan Banana Research Institute facts for kids
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| Established | 1970 |
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| Chairman | Hsieh Min-chu |
| Director | Hwang Shin-chuan |
| Location |
Pingtung County, Taiwan
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The Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI) is a special place in Taiwan. Its main job is to study and grow better bananas. They also research how to protect bananas from diseases. Bananas are a very important fruit for Taiwan to sell to other countries.
Contents
Why Was the TBRI Started?
The TBRI was created in 1970. This happened because a serious banana disease, called Panama disease, caused a lot of damage in 1967. It hurt Taiwan's banana farms very badly.
Who Helped Start TBRI?
Several groups helped to start the TBRI. These included the Taiwan Banana Fruit Quality Improvement association. Also, the Taiwan Provincial Fruit and Marketing Cooperative helped. The Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction was another important helper.
How TBRI Fights Banana Diseases
The TBRI works hard to find ways to protect bananas. One big problem is a disease called TR4. To fight TR4, the TBRI grew millions of tiny banana plants. They grew these plants using a special method called tissue culture.
What Are GCTCV 218 and GCTCV 219?
The scientists hoped that some of these tiny plants would change. They wanted them to become stronger against TR4. From these efforts, they found two special types of bananas. They are called GCTCV 218 and GCTCV 219. These types are much better at resisting the TR4 disease.
New Banana Types from TBRI
The TBRI has developed new kinds of bananas. These new types are stronger and healthier.
What is the Formosana Banana?
One important banana type developed by TBRI is called Formosana. This banana is special because it can resist the Panama disease TR4. This helps banana farmers grow healthy bananas.
