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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.
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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
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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
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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
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Important Cultivars of Banana
Dwarf Cavendish
Dwarf Cavendish
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.