Researchers in Costa Rica are expected to release the country’s first-genome edited product, a disease-resistant banana variety, later this year.

A report by the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in San José says the banana would offer resistance to Black Sigatoka and Fusarium wilt, diseases that reduce yield and profitability for growers worldwide.

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the initial steps have been taken to advance research efforts. 

“One company intends to seek approval through the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) in a research context to initiate the study process of black sigatoka and validate promising traits in plants for fusarium wilt in the future,” the ministry wrote to FreshFruitPortal.com.

Before releasing further details, the ministry said the research application must be formalized by the company.

Regulatory changes

A November 2023 update to Costa Rica’s regulatory framework is expected to expand the country’s biotechnology sector and facilitate the commercialization of genetically modified products, FAS explained.

“The most relevant changes in the regulation are related to genome editing, which was not addressed in the earlier regulatory framework,” FAS reported. “Under the new regulation, Costa Rica would treat a wide range of products created with innovative biotechnologies as equivalent to conventional products.”

To work with genetically modified products, interested parties should contact Costa Rica’s Department of Agriculture for approval.

In February, Australia announced the release of the world’s first GM banana for commercial use. The QCAV-4 banana offers resistance to Panama Disease tropical race 4, another disease that threatens Cavendish banana production worldwide.