Banana plantation
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Banana |
| Scientific name | Musa |
| Taxonomic group | Musaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Economic botany | Food plants |
| Food plants | Fruits |
| Date | 1999 |
| Location | Northeastern Costa Rica,Costa Rica,North America |
Banana plantation on former rainforest, Costa Rica. Just 20 or 30 years ago this area was covered by rich lowland tropical rainforest; today it is a banana plantation. A banana plant produces just a single large bunch of bananas during its lifetime. The banana flowers are not pollinated, and the plants reproduce by suckers since no viable seeds are produced. After fruiting, the plant is cut down so that new suckers may arise from the roots and underground stem.The bananas in this image are covered with plastic bags, into which pesticides are sprayed. As this area was being photographed, a light airplane flew overhead spraying pesticides more widely across the plantation.
