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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #232841
Title: A Study on the Morphological and PhysicoChemical Characteristics of Five Cooking Bananas

Author
item Ayala-Silva, Tomas
item Schnell Ii, Raymond
item Meerow, Alan
item Brown, James
item Gordon, Garry

Submitted to: Journal of Agronomy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2008
Publication Date: 1/30/2009
Citation: Ayala Silva, T., Schnell Ii, R.J., Meerow, A.W., Brown, J.S., Gordon, G.G. 2009. A Study on the Morphological and PhysicoChemical Characteristics of Five Cooking Bananas. Journal of Agronomy. P.1-6.

Interpretive Summary: Field evaluation of five banana clones was carried out at the National Germplasm Repository in Miami, Florida, USA from July 2006 to July 2008. Bananas (Musa acuminata Colla [AA, AAA]; Musa x paradisiaca Colla (ABB, AAAB, AABB), are one of the worlds most important food crops. Five clones of cooking bananas were evaluated under calcareous soil and irrigation conditions. The number of pseudostems per mat, height at flowering, and cycling time were determined during the first and ratoon fruiting cycle (“mother crop”), and bunch number and bunch weight, Brix, color, were also measured. A productivity index (PIX), calculated as 100 × mean bunch weight in kg/ cycling time in days, was used to verify the yield of the clones over time. Mean total fruits were highly significantly different for ‘Bom’, ‘Pelipita’ and ‘Blue Torres’ with an average of 107, 63 and 51 total fruits respectively. Mean total number of hands per bunch was highly significant for ‘Bom’ (8.03) followed by ‘Pelipita’ (6.0). ‘Cacambou’ and ‘Gypumgusi’ demonstrated the lowest number of hands with 4.2 and 4.5 respectively. ‘Pelipita’, ‘Cacambou’ and ‘Blue Torres’ had the highest brix levels with 14.65, 12.72 and 12.57 respectively. Results obtained demonstrate that the color of skin can be objectively measured by the combined use of L* a* and b* coordinates. The potential use of a reproducible and define method for the determination of banana color and relation to sugar content using a colorimeter is presented. Furthermore, the susceptibility of the clones to yellow or black Sigatoka, caused by Mycosphaerella sp., was also evaluated. Results showed that all the clones have resistance/tolerance to yellow/black Sigatoka and should be proposed for production in areas that have problems with this disease. Based on these final results these varieties should be considered for cultivation in South Florida and similar environments worldwide. They could be used as a source for cooking bananas, wine, beer, wind break or ornamental use.

Technical Abstract: Field evaluation of five banana clones was carried out at the National Germplasm Repository in Miami, Florida, USA from July 2006 to July 2008. Bananas (Musa acuminata Colla [AA, AAA]; Musa x paradisiaca Colla (ABB, AAAB, AABB), are one of the worlds most important food crops. Five clones of cooking bananas were evaluated under calcareous soil and irrigation conditions. The number of pseudostems per mat, height at flowering, and cycling time were determined during the first and ratoon fruiting cycle (“mother crop”), and bunch number and bunch weight, Brix, color, were also measured. A productivity index (PIX), calculated as 100 × mean bunch weight in kg/ cycling time in days, was used to verify the yield of the clones over time. Mean total fruits were highly significantly different for ‘Bom’, ‘Pelipita’ and ‘Blue Torres’ with 107, 63 and 51 total fruits respectively. Mean total number of hands per bunch was highly significant for ‘Bom’ (8.03) followed by ‘Pelipita’ (6.0). ‘Cacambou’ and ‘Gypumgusi’ demonstrated the lowest number of hands with 4.2 and 4.5 respectively. ‘Pelipita’, ‘Cacambou’ and ‘Blue Torres’ had the highest brix levels with 14.65, 12.72 and 12.57 respectively. Results obtained demonstrate that the color of skin can be objectively measured by the combined use of L* a* and b* coordinates. The potential use of a reproducible and define method for the determination of banana color and relation to sugar content using a colorimeter is presented. Furthermore, the susceptibility of the clones to yellow or black Sigatoka, caused by Mycosphaerella sp., was also evaluated. Results showed that all the clones have resistance/tolerance to yellow/black Sigatoka and should be proposed for production in areas that have problems with this disease. The cultivars ‘Gipungusi’, ‘Bom’, ‘Pelipita’, and ‘Cacambou’, produced reasonable to high yields of good to exceptional fruit, hence are recommended for use in all tropical/subtropical areas with a weather with a dry season and limestone soils.