Abstract
SUMMARY: The rhizome, pseudostem and the unripe fruit of the banana have a high starch content. Its concentration is higher in the middle fleshy leaf sheaths and increases gradually towards the rhizome downward along the length of the pseudostem. During the growth of the plant, starch accumulates in the pseudostem and reaches its maximum at the time of inflorescence and remains practically constant thereafter until the harvesting of the mature bunch. After the removal of the mature bunch, there is a gradual decrease in the accumulated starch, when the stem is allowed to stand in the field. If, however, it is felled and stored in the shade, the decrease in starch content is rapid and even after a period of two days, the starch content is reduced to such a great extent that its extraction becomes rather uneconomical. It is, therefore, necessary to utilize the pseudostem for processing soon after harvest of the bunch. This is a highly important consideration in the economic utilization of the pseudostem. Removal of the inflorescence, with a view to increase the starch content in the pseudostem by arresting its transfer to the fruit, is neither feasible nor economical.
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