Over recent years much of the Australian banana
industry has moved to the use of disease free tissue
culture plants for new banana plantings to exclude
potentially devastating diseases such as banana
bunchy top virus (BBTV) and panama disease
(fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense). The use of
tissue culture plants also eliminates the risk of
introducing pests such as banana weevil borer and
nematodes with the planting material.