B.N.: (1) Musa paradisiaca L.
(2) Musa cavedishii Lambert.
(3) Musa sapientum L.

Family: Musaceae Origin: South-East Asia (Assam, Burma etc.)

One of the oldest fruits in India. It is second in importance next to Mango in India. Rich source of energy. All parts of plant are useful.Unripe fruits are used for powder,and ripe fruits are used for jam, fruit salad, religious purpose. It is cultivated in various states in India South India- (Kerala, TN, Karnataka), Western India- (Gujarat, Maharastra),Eastern India- (Assam, Bhihar).

Total area under banana in India is 2.40 lakh ha, (i.e. 20% of total fruits.) with 34.46 lakh tone’s production. Gujarat-28530 ha. with 11.41 lakh tone’s production. Surat, Valsad, Bharuch, Vadodara, Kheda, Junagadh, Bhavnagar are growing regions.

Composition and Uses:
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• Banana is the cheapest, plentiful and most nourishing of all fruits. It contains nearly all the essential nutrients including minerals and vitamins and has several medicinal properties. Banana is a rich source of energy.
• About 24 bananas each weighing around 100 g would provide the energy requirement (2400 cal/day) of a sedentary man. The composition of the fruit is given below.