How Australia's genetically modified, disease-resistant banana could prevent a global crop collapse

In a small plot in the Northern Territory , banana plants have thrived for almost a decade in soil that should kill them.

According to those who have tried the fruit, they taste exactly like a banana should.

But the plants near Humpty Doo have a secret hiding in their DNA: A genetic modification that protects bananas from a disease that is on the verge of wiping out crops around the world.

James Dale, an agricultural biotechnology researcher at the Queensland University of Technology, helped develop the disease-resistant banana — the world's first genetically modified banana to be approved in Australia.

He said there are no regulatory hurdles stopping the bananas, called QCAV-4, from entering the market.

"If we saw them in the Northern Territory in 2027, that would be wonderful."

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