[denzil_correa]

> The Southern part of India happens to be the actual point of origin of the banana plant

Do you have a source for this part?

[hbharadwaj]

> Of note, many have forgotten, but rice suffered from a pandemic blight in the 1980s that was saved only because a particular species of wild rice, coincidentally found in South India, happened to have disease resistant genes.

Do you have a source for this as well please?

[dragonmum]

Yes, please see:

https://books.google.com.my/books?id=dlvNBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA287&l...