Basrai, Harichhal, Gross Michel- (best all over world.), Grand naine, Poovan, Nendran, Lal kela, Safed Velchi etc. wild species found in Assam & Arunachal, whose pseudostem is used for paper & rope making.
They are (1) Musa sanjunia, (2) Musa mani (3) Musa velity.
Poovan (Tamil Nadu):
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• The plant is tall, hardy and grows vigorously under the ratooning system of cultivation. It is a true cosmopolitan cultivar growing with equal vigour both in India and the West Indies.
• One of the distinguishing characters of the plant is the rose-pink colour on the outer side of midrib. It can grow under unirrigated condition or with scanty irrigation.
• The fruit is medium to small, yellow skinned, firm fleshed with a sub-acid taste. It has a good keeping quality. It is resistant to Panama wilt and fairly resistant to bunchy top disease. The average bunch weight is about 15 kg.
Harichal:
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Bombay green (Maharashtra), Peddapachaarati (Andhra Pradesh), Robusta (Tamil Nadu).
• It is a semi-tall sport of Dwarf Cavendish. It is another important commercial banana of Maharashtra. Fruits are large, skin thick, greenish to dull yellow, sweet and delicious.
• The fruits have better keeping quality than that of Dwarf Cavendish. Average bunch weight is about 20 kg.
Martaman (West Bengal):
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• Musa (AAB) group-Syn. Rasthali (Tamil Nadu), Mutheli (Maharashtra), Malbhog (Bihar), Amruthapani (Andhra Pradesh), Rassabale (Karnataka), Sonkel (Kerala), Silkfig (Trinidad).
• It is the choicest table cultivar of West Bengal. The plant is tall and can be identified by the yellowish green stem with brownish blotches, reddish margins of the petiole and leaf sheath.
• The average bunch weight is about 12 kg. fruits are medium-sized and similar to that of Poovan in appearance, skin thin, ivory-yellow in colour, flesh firm, sweet with a pleasant aroma. Its cultivation is decreasing due to susceptibility to Panama wilt. The other demerits are easy dropping of ripe fruits from the bunch and formation of hard lumps in the pulp.
Hill Banana:
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Musa (AAB) group-Virupakshi Syn. Mala vazhai.
• The hill banana is a speciality of Tamil Nadu. These are perennial bananas of high quality. There are two main types: Sirumalai and Virupakshi. Fruits of Sirumalai have better taste compared with Virupakshi.
The average bunch weight is about 12 kg.
Nendran(Kerala):
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• This cultivar is known in all parts of the world as plantain. This is a dual-purpose cultivar of Kerala. It has very good keeping quality.
• The fruit is relatively longer and thicker than most other bananas. The bunch is not compact. The average bunch weight is 15 kg.
• This cultivar is known in all parts of the world as plantain. This is a dual-purpose cultivar of Kerala. It has very good keeping quality.
• The fruit is relatively longer and thicker than most other bananas. The bunch is not compact. The average bunch weight is 15 kg.
Safed Velchi:
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It is under stray cultivation throughout South India and Maharashtra and mostly grown as intercrop in coconut and arecanut garden. The plants are medium-sized with slender, yellowish pseudostem having reddish petiole margin. The fruits are small, firm-fleshed and sweet. The average bunch weight is about 12 kg.
Lalkela (Maharashtra):
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This cultivar is grown throughout the world. The colour of the pseudostem petiole, midrib and fruit peel is purplush red. The fruit is of good size and has a characteristic aroma. Average bunch weight is 20 kg.
Gross Michel:
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Among the dessert banana cultivars of the world, Gros Michel occupied the first rank in desirable fruit characters, such as size, quality, flavour, attractive skin colour, resistance to bruising.
Giant Governor:
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Musa (AAA) group-Cultivation of this cultivar is gaining popularity in West Bengal. The plant is medium-dwarf, fruits large, greenish to dull yellow in colour, flesh firm and sweet. A bunch on an average weighs about 15 kg. the cultivar is susceptible to leaf spot (sigatoka) but resistant to wilt.
