Banana Jehad eshtayeh 1

Scientific classification Kingdom:Plantae (unranked):Angiosperms (unranked):Monocots (unranked):Commelinids Order:Zingiberales Family:Musaceae Genus:Musa Species M. acuminata M. balbisiana 2

ORIGIN OF THE BANANA, HISTORY OF CULTIVATION Edible Musa spp. originated in southeastern Asia, from India east and south to northern Australia. Early Filipinos probably spread the banana eastward to the pacific islands, including Hawaii, prior to recorded history. Westward, banana likely followed the major trade routes that transported other fruits. Bananas were not carried to Europe until the 10th century, and Portuguese traders obtained it from west Africa, not southeast Asia, during the age of discovery. Plants were taken from west Africa to the Canary Islands and South America in the 16th century, and spread throughout the Caribbean with settlement of the area in the 16th-17th centuries. Bananas are now grown pantropically in more countries than any other fruit crop in the world. 3

PLANT BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 4

Plant Both banana and plantain trees are large, monocots, reaching about ft tall in cultivation. Plantains are often larger than bananas. The “trunk” or pseudostem is not a true stem, but only the clustered, cylindrical aggregation of leaf stalk bases. Perennial herbaceous plant Evergreen fruit tree 5

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leaf Inside it there is a bud which produces leaves. Leaves are among the largest of all plants, becoming up to 9 ft long and 2 ft wide. Margins are entire and venation is pinnate; leaves tear along the veins in windy conditions, giving a feathered or tattered look. There are 5-15 leaves on each plant, with 10 considered the minimum for properly maturing a bunch of fruit. 7

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Flowers The inflorescence is a spike. Initially, it appears above the last leaves in an upright position, and consists only of a large, purple, tapered bud. As the bud opens, the narrow, white, tubular, toothed flowers are revealed, clustered in whorled double rows along the stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, purple, bract. The flower stalk begins to droop down under its own weight after opening; the flowers are negatively geotropic, and turn upright during growth. 9

10 Female Male

Pollination Bananas are male sterile, and those of the Cavendish group are female sterile as well; fruit is set parthenocarpically. 11

Fruit An epigynous berry, fruit are borne in “hands” of up to 20 fruit, with 5-20 hands per spike. Fruit reach harvest maturity in days after flower opening. The terminal bud on the stalk may be removed if fruit set is high, to allow more complete filling of fruits 12

PlantainsBananas  Starchy  Used as a vegetable  Longer than bananas  Thicker skin  Resemble green bananas, but may be green, yellow or black  Sweet  Eaten as a fruit  Shorter than plantains  Thinner skin  Color is green when not fully ripe, yellow when ripe 13

The Most Common Varieties Of Banana 14

Apple BananasPisang Raja 15

Lady Finger Bananas Cavendish Bananas 16

Williams BananasCooking Bananas 17

GENERAL CULTURE 18

Soils and Climate Deep, well-drained soils are best. Both banana and plantain are adapted to hot, wet, tropical lowlands. Mean annual temperatures are 80 F, with minimum and maximum daily temperatures of 72-90°F. Growth ceases when temperatures drop below about 56°F, and temperatures below 50 F can cause chilling injury to fruits. Plants require about 4 inches of rain/month, with dry seasons no longer than 3 months. Slightly acid, pH 5.5 to

Propagation & Rootstocks Rhizomes or pieces of rhizomes called “bits” or “eyes” (analogous to planting potatoes) OR tissue cultured plantlets Rootstocks Rootstocks – none 20

Planting Design, Training, Pruning Reproduction: Seedlings or Alkhalafat. And using plant tissue technique Planting Design: plants/acre are used Spacings range from 2×2m Training and pruning – Propping or guying is performed most cultivars with heavy fruit stalks. 21

BANANA HARVEST, POSTHARVEST HANDLING 22

Maturity Fruits can be harvested when about 75% mature; occurs at days after opening of the first hand. Harvest may be delayed up to days after opening of the first hand. 23

Harvest Method Entire bunches are cut from pseudostems by hand, and carried on the shoulder or back to a nearby tram line for longer distance transport. The cutter leaves a portion of bare stalk as a handle for transporting to the packinghouse. 24

 Postharvest Handling Banana bunches are hung on tramways and pulled out of plantings by tractors or people. Hands are cut into units of 4-10 fingers, graded for both length and width, and carefully placed in poly-lined 40 lb boxes. Fruit are shipped by boat when green.  Storage Storage temperature F Below 56 F may cause chilling injury Bananas are ripened for marketing F Ethylene treatment (1000 ppm for 24 hr) 25

Weather Problems  Wind  mph - leaf damage, twisting, breakage  40 mph - considerable damage  60 mph - complete destruction  Why  Pseudostem not as strong as woody stem  Large leaves that catch wind  Shallow root system 26

Dietary value, per 100 gram edible portion Percent of recommended daily allowance set by FDA, assuming a 154 lb male adult, 2700 calories per day. BananaPlantain Water (%)7566 Calories88134 Protein (%)1.2 Fat (%) Carbohydrates (%)2331 Crude Fiber (%)2.6 Vitamin A8.6 Thiamin, B121 Riboflavin, B23.8 Niacin4.4 Vitamin C47 Calcium1.1 Phosphorus3.5 Iron4.5 Potassium8.9 27

The End 28