A next-generation catalog of cultivated bananas

A new research paper presents a cutting-edge catalog of banana diversity, utilizing innovative genomic techniques to trace the ancestral origins of various banana cultivars. The study involved collaboration between multiple institutions, and includes a comprehensive catalog of cultivated bananas.

We are living in an incredible time of advances in genomics. Technology is revolutionizing how we understand the natural world. With the decreasing cost of genomic sequencing, researchers can now study larger numbers of plants and reimagine how we represent plant diversity. This allows for a more comprehensive approach, combining traditional visual classifications based on physical characteristics with an additional layer of diversity derived from genetic data.

Recent advancements in our understanding of the cultivated banana genome have led to the development of an innovative technique called in silico chromosome painting. This computer-based method traces the ancestral origins of the chromosomes in cultivated banana varieties. The technique was applied to many accessions from the international genebank, as well as newly collected material from Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The collaborative study was conducted by researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CIRAD (France), USDA–ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station (Puerto Rico, U.S.), NARI (Papua New Guinea), and the Ministries of Agriculture from the Cook Islands and Samoa, and was recently published in the journal Plants, People, Planet, providing new insights into banana diversity.

The result is a series of colorful, mosaic-like image representations of chromosomes that can be regarded as the genomic signatures of the many distinct cultivar groups of bananas, such as the well-known Cavendish or plantain. This effort also led to the discovery that some locally appreciated banana groups such as Pisang Awak or Maia Maoli Popoulu were not made of a single clone, opening interesting perspectives on the diversification of a crop that is often cultivated in monoclonal fields.

Although mosaics are obtained by automated bioinformatic procedures, Alberto Cenci—co-first author of the study—reflects on the analyses behind this achievement: “This is the result of meticulous curation of automated analyses and countless hours of collective effort to analyze and understand the mechanisms behind these mosaics.”

His colleague and project collaborator Catherine Breton, a bioinformatics expert, optimistically points out that there are even more exciting possibilities: “With the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated and AI, we can streamline and accelerate this process. In fact, we’re already seeing promising results.”

The journey is far from over. Julie Sardos—an expert in banana diversity and co-first author of the study—notes that there is still much to discover. Based on the results presented in the paper and her extensive fieldwork across Asia and Oceania—the origin of bananas—she is confident that future missions will yield further exciting discoveries.

In another study focusing on continental Southeast Asia, hidden diversity was discovered in wild bananas, indicating that more cultivated diversity could also hide in the region.

“I look forward to continuing to expand this catalog with new chromosomal mosaics as the exploration of banana diversity continues,” she says.

Mathieu Rouard, one of the lead scientists involved in this study, emphasizes the importance of this work.

“It took us several years to fine-tune this catalog concept, and we are excited to have it released and see use of it. The results will have possible implications and positive impact for farming systems, breeding, and to improve our conservation in the Alliance’s international gene banks for bananas,” he says.

As scientists such as Sardos and her colleagues continue to explore the genetic diversity of bananas and other crops, this catalog will continue to be updated and expanded. This resource is now available both as a printable catalog and an online tool.