According to recent comprehensive research conducted by climate experts worldwide, climate change, which is marked by increasing temperatures, diminishing rainfall, and severe droughts, poses a significant threat to some of the most widely grown crops globally, such as bananas, oranges, and avocados.
The rise in temperatures affects soil salinity and contributes to an increase in pests and diseases, rendering many plants unable to adapt and, therefore, more susceptible to extinction.
A common banana variety is at risk of extinction due to a fungal disease known as Fusarium wilt of banana, which impedes the flow of nutrients to the fruit, resulting in wilting.
Studies showed that this disease devastated commercial banana crops in the 1950s, leading to the extinction of the Gros Michel banana. The predominant variety, Cavendish, is also threatened due to deteriorating soil quality.
As winter approaches, orange trees are also under threat. According to the Middle East News Agency, climate change and a citrus
greening disease may negatively impact orange yields. This disease, for which no cure has been found, causes fruit to rot and warp, making them inedible.
Throughout history, citrus greening has wreaked havoc on orchards in Asia, the Americas, and various African countries.
Despite an increase in global orange production, the continued spread of this disease has already resulted in yield declines, with Brazil, experiencing a drop of over 20%, Guadeloupe island in the Caribbean a 60% decrease, and Florida in the US more than 90% decrease.
Avocados, which require substantial amounts of water, are particularly susceptible to climate change in an increasingly hot and dry world. The most favorable cultivation regions are shrinking, and the feasibility of avocado cultivation in major production areas such as Mexico, Spain, Chile, and Colombia is diminishing.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
