Galiltec Ecuador, officially reported the start of the sowing of the Cavendish Formosana 218 clone in Ecuador and Latin America.
The Formosana GCTV 218 clone was brought to the country from South Africa last April by the Galiltec Ecuador company. The importation of the vitroplants was carried out from the Du Roi laboratory in South Africa. Formosana was initially developed by the Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI), which has successfully selected and used disease-tolerant Cavendish somaclonal variants as part of the integrated approach to support the banana export sector. bananas in Taiwan.
With the planting of the Formosana clone, a new era begins for banana agriculture in Ecuador and Latin American countries, which will have the option of planting a new variety resistant to the FOC R4T threat. The disease is already present in Colombia, in the Riohacha area, and in Peru, in the department of Queracotillo.
Galiltec, together with Du-Roi, exclusively manages the distribution of this variety in the Latin American area and in Africa
Image Gallery of Formosana 218 Implementation
These images document the pioneering implementation of Formosana 218 in Ecuador, from field preparation and planting to the early growth stages. This photographic evidence showcases Galiltec's commitment to introducing resistant banana varieties that will help secure the future of banana production in Latin America against the threat of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (FOC R4T).