Banana (Musa paradisiaca)

General Information

• Botanical Name: Musa paradisiaca
• Family: Musaceae
• Origin: South East Asia
• Type: Herbaceous, monocotyledonous, monocarpic fruit crop
• India’s Share in World Production: ~31.6%
• India’s Rank: Top producer (about 23% of world banana)

Edible Banana Genetics

• Main Species: Musa acuminata (source of edible bananas)
• Most cultivated bananas: Triploid (3n)
• Edible Part: Starchy parenchyma
• Seedlessness: Controlled by spraying 2,4-D @ 25 ppm
• Kalpataru: Banana is referred to as Kalpataru (plant of virtues)

Environmental Requirements

• Ideal Temperature for Growth: 20–30°C
• Optimum Temperature: 26.5°C
• Scorching & Transpiration: Above 36–38°C
• Moisture: Moisture-loving plant
• Wind: Strong wind is a major threat

Propagation Methods

• Sword suckers: 500–750 g (ideal: 750 g)
• Other methods: Bits (cut rhizomes), Peepers
• Spacing:
  • Poovan, Rasthali, Nendran, Robusta: 2.1 × 2.1 m
  • Basrai, Kulhan, Jawari: 1.8 × 1.8 m

Cultivation Practices

• Desuckering: Every 45 days
• Minimum Leaves for Yield: 10–12 on mother plant
• Planting Methods:
  • Gujarat & Maharashtra: Furrow
  • Tamil Nadu: Trench (esp. for wetlands)
• High Density Planting (HDP): Risk of Finger Tip Disease
• Propping: Supporting the tall banana plant with sticks or poles to prevent lodging due to wind or the heavy weight of bunches. Especially necessary for tall varieties like Grand Naine.
• Mettocking: The practice of mounding soil around the base of the banana plant (especially near the pseudostem) to provide support and prevent lodging.
• Denavelling: refers to the removal of the male bud (also called the “navel”) of the banana plant after the completion of the female phase

Post-Harvest and Maturity

• Harvesting Maturity: 75–80% for long transport
• Days to Maturity: 90–150 days
• Calorific Value: 67–137 Kcal/100g
• Post-Harvest Ripening Delay: Waxol (12% wax emulsion)

Nutritional Importance

• Sugar Content (Ripe Fruit): 26–27%. Monthan variety: Only glucose
• Potassium (K): Rich source (nerve impulses, energy)

Important Diseases

• Panama Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum):
  • Gross Michel: Susceptible
  • Poovan: Resistant
  • Basarai: Immune
  • Male flower: Resistant to Panama wilt but susceptible to Bunchy Top

• Bunchy Top Virus:
  • First Reported: Fiji, 1891
  • Also called: Cabbage Top
  • Detection: Tetrazolium Test

• Sigatoka Leaf Spot:
  • First Reported: 1913
  • Serious threat
  • All AAA clones: Susceptible
• ELISA Test: Used for screening banana viruses

Cultural Facts

• Calcifuge Crop: Avoids high calcium soils
• Used in Tamil Nadu: For leaf production
• Salt water treatment: Reduces ripening duration
• Avoid Growing with: Brinjal, cucurbits (attract nematodes)
• Referred to as: Staple food in South Africa

Classification by Genome Group

• AAA (Irrigated): Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Grand Naine, Lal Velchi
• AAB (Irrigated): Poovan, Rasthali, Nendran, Hill Banana
• ABB (Rainfed): Monthan, Kunnan, Pey Kunnan
• AB: Ney Poovan, Lady Finger

Popular Cultivars & Characteristics

Important Hybrids

Research & Breeding

• Banana Improvement Initiated: 1949, Tamil Nadu
• Research Centre: Central Banana Research Station (CBRS), Aduthurai, TN
• Genetic Classification: By Simmond & Shephard