Horticulture :: Propagation :: Banana
Banana
Propagation
  • Commercial bananas are seedless and propagated exclusively by vegetative means.

  • The banana has a reduced underground stem, called the rhizome, which bears several buds.

  • Each of these buds sprouts and forms its own pseudostem and a new bulbous rhizome.

  • These daughter plants are called suckers.

  • Banana is mostly propagated by rhizomes and suckers viz. sword suckers and water suckers.

  • Sword suckers have a well developed base with narrow sword-shaped leaf blades at the early stages.

  • Water sucker posses broad leaves, which do not produce healthy banana clumps. Suckers of 2-4 months age are selected.

  • Other planting materials are whole or bits of rhizomes.

  • Basrai variety in Jalgaon (Maharashtra) is as a rule propagated by dormant rhizomes.

  • After cutting the parent plant, the rhizomes are removed from the soil, stored in cool, dry place for about 2 months.

  • During the resting period the remaining part of pseudostem at the bottom falls of, leaving prominent heart bud.

  • Conical rhizome should be selected while flat rhizomes to be rejected
  • It should be 3-4 months age at planting. Very small rhizomes will give bigger size fruits with late flowering while bigger size rhizomes flower early but bear small size fruit/bunches.

  • Since banana is highly unstable in genetic constitution, the suckers/rhizomes should be  selected from plants, which are healthy, having all the desirable bunch qualities and high yielding ability possessing atleast 10 hands in a bunch



Tissue Culture
Propagation
  • Now-a-days banana plants are also propagated through tissue culture.

  • Varieties like Shrimanti, Gross Michael and Grand Naine are commonly produced using tissue culture technique.

  • Normally disease free plantlets with 3 - 4 leaves are generally supplied in pots for raising secondary nursery.

  • Plants are initially kept in shade [50%] and as they harden, shade is reduced gradually.

  • After 6 weeks, plants do not require any shade. Normally two months of secondary nursery is good enough before the plants to be planted in the field pits
Update on: July 2015

 

 

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