Banana growers in Carnarvon are hoping to apply the theory of good gut health to their soil in a bid to make healthier fruit. In what is believed to be an industry first, Carnarvon's Sweeter Banana Co-operative has launched a three-year trial which will compare sub-tropical bananas grown using synthetic fertilizer to those grown with a biomineral fertilizer.
Sweeter Banana Co-operative business manager Doriana Mangili said good soil health was akin to good gut health. "The addition of fertilizers is a bit like adding a soft drink or refined sugar to your diet — it'll give you energy and it'll get you going but in the long term it's not great for your gut health," she said. "If we look at adding the levels of artificial fertilizers that we add ... then you're starting to look at the same sort of thing as a junk food diet."
She said soils were the same. The bananas, grown side-by-side, will undergo leaf, soil and shelf-life testing to assess the difference between conventional fertilizer and the biomineral product.
Source: abc.net.au