Examining ozone susceptibility in the genus Musa (bananas)

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a global air pollutant that adversely affects plant growth and productivity. While the impacts of O3 have previously been examined for some tropical commodity crops, no information is available for the pantropical crop, banana (Musa spp.). In this study, we exposed Australia’s major banana cultivar, Williams, to a range of [O3] in open-top chambers. In addition, we examined 46 diverse Musa lines growing in a common garden for variation in traits that are hypothesized to shape responses to O3: leaf mass per area, intrinsic water-use-efficiency, and total antioxidant capacity. Banana cv. Williams showed substantial susceptibility to O3. Combined our results from open-top chambers and common garden conditions suggest a substantial risk of O3 to banana production and food security throughout the tropics.