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Introduction

India is growing large number of banana varieties depending on

preferences, resource availability and production system.

Banana cultivars are of 3 types: Dessert, Culinary and hill areas.

Dessert: Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Grand Naine, Rasthali,

Nendran, Red Banana, etc. The Cavendish group is preferred in

export market.

Culinary: Monthan, Vayal vazhai are cultivated for culinary

purpose. Nendran is a dual purpose variety used for dessert and

culinary.

Hill areas: Grown in hilly areas, Virupakshi, Sirumalai and

Namarai. Red Banana, Manoranjitham (Santhana vazhai) and

Ladan.

Banana Varieties Cultivated in India

State Varieties Grown

Andhra Pradesh

Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rasthali, Amritpant, Thellachakrakeli,

Karpoora Poovan, Chakrakeli, Monthan and Yenagu Bontha

Assam Jahaji (Dwarf Cavendish), Chini Champa, Malbhog, Borjahaji

(Robusta), Honda, Manjahaji, Chinia (Manohar), Kanchkol,

Bhimkol, Jatikol, Digjowa, Kulpait, Bharat Moni

Bihar Dwarf Cavendish, Alpon, Chinia , Chini Champa, Malbhig, Muthia,

Kothia , Gauria

Gujarat Dwarf Cavendish, Lacatan, Harichal (Lokhandi), Gandevi

Selection, Basrai, Robusta, G-9, Harichal, Shrimati

Jharkhand Basrai, Singapuri

Karnataka Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rasthali, Poovan, Monthan, Elakkibale

State Varieties Grown

Kerala Nendran (Plantain), Palayankodan (Poovan), Rasthali, Monthan, Red Banana, Robusta

Madhya Pradesh Basrai

Maharashtra Dwarf Cavendish, Basrai, Robusta, Lal Velchi, Safed Velchi, Rajeli, Nendran, Grand Naine, Shreemanti, Red Banana

Orissa Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Champa, Patkapura (Rasthali)

Tamil Nadu Virupakshi, Robusta, Rad Banana, Poovan, Rasthali, Nendran, Monthan, Karpuravalli, Sakkai, Peyan, Matti

West Bengal Champa, Mortman, Dwarf Cavendish, Giant Governor, Kanthali, Singapuri

Banana Varieties cultivated in India

Important Cultivars of Banana

Dwarf Cavendish: A popular commercial cultivar grown for table

and processing purpose. Basrai is a popular variety of Cavendish

group of banana grown in Maharashtra.

• Banana plant is dwarf and less prone to lodging. Bunch and fruit

size moderate but shelf life is short. A bunch has 6-7 hands with

about 13 fruits per hand and weighs 15-25 kg. Thick rind of fruit

retains greenish colour even when riped.

• Hanuman or Padarre are two popular Cavendish varieties due to

larger bunches weighing 55-60 kg. They perform well under light

soils, high-density plantation and drip irrigation. These cultivars are

highly susceptible to Sigatoka leaf spot disease in humid tropics.

Dwarf Cavendish

Important Cultivars of Banana

Dwarf Cavendish

Dwarf Cavendish

Rasthali: Medium tall variety with unique

fruit quality. Highly prized cultivar for table

purpose. Fruits are yellowish green in

colour but turn golden yellow after

ripening. Fruit are tasty with good aroma.

Long crop duration, high susceptibility to

Fusarium wilt disease, protection of fruits

from sun burning / cracking and formation

of hard lumps in fruits make crop

production more expensive.

Important Cultivars of Banana

Rasthali

Robusta: It is a high yielding variety

with large sized bunches and fruits.

Dark green fruits turn bright yellow on

ripening. Bunch weighs about 25-30 kg

but requires propping, staking and

support to trees.

Fruit has a poor keeping quality, bad for

long distance transportation. Robusta is

highly susceptible to Sigatoka leaf spot

disease common in humid tropics.

Robusta

Important Cultivars of Banana

.

Poovan (Mysore): A perennial cultivar

grown in specific location in the India like

Poovan in Tamil Nadu.

Fruit is slightly acidic, firm with sour-sweet

aroma. Fruits turn to attractive golden

yellow on ripening. Medium sized, closely

packed bunch, resistant to cracking and

with good keeping quality.

Highly susceptible to Banana Bract Mosaic

Virus (BMV) and Banana Streak Virus

(BSV).

Poovan

Important Cultivars of Banana

Nendran: A popular variety in Kerala and

Tamilnadu for table and processing.

Plants differs in stature, pseudostem

color, presence or absence of male axis.

Bunch has 5-6 hands weighing about 12-

15 kg. Fruits have distinct neck, thick

green skin turning buff yellow on ripening.

Fruits are starchy even on ripening.

Highly susceptible to Banana Bract

Mosaic Virus (BBMV), nematodes and

stem borers. Nendran

Important Cultivars of Banana

Red Banana: Red banana is a prized variety of Kerala and Tamil

Nadu especially grown in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil

Nadu. It is called Lal Velchi in Bihar and Chandra Bale in Karnataka.

Red Banana

Important Cultivars of Banana

Color of pseudo stem, petiole, midrib and

fruit rind is purple red. It is a robust plant

with bunches weighing 20-30 kg under

good management practices. Fruits are

sweet, orange yellow colored and with a

pleasant aroma. It is highly susceptible to

bunchy top, Fusarium wilt and nematodes.

Ney Poovan: Ney Poovan is diploid

cultivar found in Tamil Nadu.

Plant bearing 15-30 kg bunches after

12-14 months. Dark green fruits with

good shelf life turn golden yellow

when ripe. Fruits are fragrant, tasty,

powdery and firm.

It is tolerant to leaf spot disease but

susceptible to Fusarium wilt disease.Ney Poovan

Important Cultivars of Banana

Virupakshi: It is an elite perennial table

variety grown in Palani and Shevroy hills

of Tamil Nadu.

It is vigorous and hardy but not prolific.

Fruits show a typical curvature, possess a

pleasant aroma and taste.

Being a perennial crop it is susceptible to

Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV).

Virupakshi

Important Cultivars of Banana

Pachanadan: It is popular variety in

Tamilnadu in marginal soils, well suited

for intercrop in Coconut or Areca nut

garden.

Bunch weighs from 12-15 kg matures

after 11-12 months. This variety can be

used in Nendran plantations for gap

filling as it reaches harvesting at same

time.

It is tolerant to leaf spot and BBTV

diseases, but susceptible to wilt.

Pachanadan

Important Cultivars of Banana

Monthan: It is tall and robust plant bearing

bunches of 18-20 kg after 12 months good

for processing. Fruits are bold and pale

green. Apart from culinary use of fruits,

pseudo-stem core is a highly relished

vegetable and has medicinal properties.

Monthan type clones like Kanchi Vazhai

and Chakkia are popular. It is cultivated for

production of leaves in Trichy and Tanjore

districts.

Resistant to BBTV, tolerant to salinity but

highly susceptible to Fusarium wilt disease.

Monthan

Important Cultivars of Banana

Karpuravalli: A variety grown for table

purpose which can grow in marginal soils

of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and some parts of

Bihar where it is called Kanthali.

It is a tall, robust plant. Fruits are sweetest

amongst all Indian bananas. It is

occasionally seeded depending on the

seasonal variability. It is ash coated golden

yellow and sweet fruits have good keeping

quality.

Highly susceptible to wilt disease, tolerant

to leaf spot disease.

Karpuravalli

Important Cultivars of Banana

Safed Velchi Musa: It is a table

purpose variety popular in Thane

& Nasik districts of Maharashtra

and Kanara district of Karnataka.

This variety is medium sized with

slender yellowish green pseudo-

stem and can be recognized by

the reddish petiole margin. Safed Velchi Musa

Important Cultivars of Banana

Fruits are larger in size with very thin papery rind and white firm sweet

flesh. The average bunch weight is about 12 kg with about 150

fruits/bunch. Duration of the variety is about 13 months.