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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #367958
Research Project: Quality, Shelf-life and Health Benefits for Fresh, Fresh-cut and Processed Products for Citrus and Other Tropical/Subtropical-grown Fruits and Vegetables

Location: Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research

Title: Male bud characteristics of diploid, triploid and tetraploid bananas

Author
item JAITRONG, SOMKIT - Burapha University
item Manthey, John

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2019
Publication Date: 8/5/2019
Citation: Jaitrong, S., Manthey, J.A. 2019. Male bud characteristics of diploid, triploid and tetraploid bananas. Acta Horticulturae. 1210:171-176. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1210.24.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1210.24

Interpretive Summary: The cultivars collected in Thailand and included in our study were triploid and tetraploid and only two diploid. Some of the samples were the same genotype but varied significantly in their male bud characteristics such as male bud shape, bract curling, bract color, color fading and male flower color. Hence, bract morphology is not a reliable predictor for banana plant genotype.

Technical Abstract: Abstract Differences in male bud characteristics of diploid (2n), triploid (3n) and tetraploid (4n) bananas were characterized. This included comparisons of bud shape, bract color, male flower color and color characteristics (Hunter CIELAB). Male bud shapes of three genome groups show a diversity, including ovate, broadly ovate, and lanceolate with acute and obtuse bract apex. Bract color was reddish brown to reddish purple. Bract outside color in diploid banana (‘Nam Thai’ and ‘Ta Nee’) were brownish green to purple red, L* = 40.86 to 42.88, C* = 18.76 to 19.68 and H° = 18.76 to 47.99, while the outside bract colors of triploid banana (‘Hom Kheio Kom’, ‘Sam Duan’, ‘Hin’, ‘Namwa’, ‘Huk Mook Som’ and ‘Thep Panom’) were brownish red to purple red or deep purple, L* = 36.70 to 81.25, C* = 10.28 to 36.53 and H° = 19.81 to 279.9. In contrast, the outside bract color of tetraploid banana (‘Thep Parod’ and ‘Thip Parod’) was purple red, L* = 42.77 to 43.98, C* = 9.98 to 24.51 and H° = 11.78 to 19.90, respectively. Bract inside color of three genome groups were reddish orange to red purple, L* = 42.05 to 45.56, C* = 31.77 to 35.76 and H° = 27.41 to 29.68, respectively. Male flower color in diploid banana was creamy white-yellow, while creamy white-yellow in triploid and yellowish cream and pinkish purple in tetraploid bananas, respectively.