The commercially cultivated bananas are susceptible to pest and diseases. Also to increase the yield and improve the post-harvest quality of fruits, some of the national and international institutes are working out for improvement of banana crop.
- International Network for Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) - France.
- International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) - Nigeria.
- ICAR: Aduthurai-Tamil Nadu i.e NRC on banana & later it was shifted to Trichy.
- FHIA. i.e Foundacion Hondurena de Investigation Agricola, Handura released different banana hybrids.
- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore, KAU, Kannara, Kerala, Fruit Research Station, Kavoor, Andhra Pradesh. All these institutions have worked on collections, evaluation and improvement of banana germplasm for further breeding programme. All the cultivated varieties i.e, 303 cultivars, which are all natural hybrids between acuminata and bulbisiana. Cultivated and edible types belongs to pure acuminata (AA) family.
- IC-1- The first hybrid between Gross michel x Musa acuminata sub species Malacensis developed in 1990 from IITA, Nigeria, resistant banana clone for wilt disease, which is similar to that of Gross michel, a premier cultivar in that zone. It was not accepted because it produces small fruits. Also IC-2, 5-19 - none of them are better than Gross michel. Later,
- FHIA-01: It is popularly known as Gold finger. It is the cross between a dwarf lady finger type ie., Dwarf prata x SH-3142. It is a desert banana, produces heavy bunch (20-25 kg) and has Apple flavour & suitable for export. It is resistant to black sigatoka & fusarium wilt race 1&4.
- FHIA-03: GH-3386xSH3320-It is a Robusta, Disease resistant cooking banana.
- FHIA-04: AVP67xSH3437-A French type hybrid, has very attractive golden coloured pulp, resistant to black leaf streak or black sigatoka resistance.
- FHIA-17: high gate x SH-3362-Cavendish hybrid resistant to black sigatoka.
- FHIA-21: AVP-67x SH3142 resistant to black sigatoka
The other hybrids are-FHIA-19,20,22
- TNAU- C0-1: It is a multiple cross hybrid involved
Kallar laden x M balbisiana cv savani.
AAB - C0-1 also called H-135
H-135- It is a pome hybrid. It retains the typical virupakshi characteristics. However, the bunch is small in size. H1-Agniswar x Pisang lilin – released by Kerala Agricultural University- resistant to leaf spot, fusarium wilt & burrowing nematode, yields 14-16 kg bunch H2- Vannan x Pisang lilin -tolerent to leaf spot & nematode, yields - 15-20kg.
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