"If you thought frogs were clean and green, you should check out all the ways banana growers are helping preserve the environment.

The whole idea behind environmentally friendly cultivation is to work with nature, instead of trying to control it. Here are just some of the ways Australia's banana growers are doing just that.

• By replacing man made fertilisers with one of the best natural fertilisers there is, poultry manure (good old fashioned chook poo). Adding this to the soil helps banana plants grow strong and healthy. Other natural fertilisers include: fish emulsion, seaweed extract, rockdust (mining dust containing higher than normal concentrations of minerals) and natural rock powders such as crushed lime and phosphate.
• There are lots of bugs which are a real problem for banana growers, but fortunately they also have lots of natural enemies such as garlic and tea tree oil that can be used in place of pesticides. Another weapon used in bug warfare is diatomaceous earth which is made from diatoms - microscopic, fossilised shellfish found in ancient lakes whose crushed shells have sharp edges that defend the plants against unwelcome insect guests.
• Research is also underway to develop large quantities of predatory bugs, the type that eat the ones that eat bananas. One day it's hoped that Australia's banana growers will simply unleash a little box of predator bugs in their plantations and presto, end of bug problem.
• Smart growers also know that weeds can be controlled using a bit of commonsense, eg by creating lots of shade, using mulch to stop them sprouting in the first place, and pulling young weeds out by hand before they have a chance to take over."