Abstract
Bananas for export are supported by only one clone of the Cavendish subgroup, the ‘Grande Naine’. The vulnerability of a monoclonal crop is obvious. The objective of this paper was to report on collection of banana germplasm from the AAA genomic group/ subgroup Cavendish, in large and small plantations, for conservation, evaluation and selection studies. Two collection expeditions were carried out in the States of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Fifty-six samples were collected that showed several variations among the clones, ranging from plant height to fruit size and shape. The material was registered in the Brazilian System of Genetic Resources Information (SIBRARGEN). The suckers were submitted to phytosanitary treatment, and then sent to Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Crops Center, in Cruz das Almas, Bahia State. The banana germplasm accessions were added to the banana active gene bank (BAG), where they will be evaluated for superior genotype selection.
Highlights
The acquisition of promising germplasm introduced from other regions may accomplish the same purpose as a breeding program designed to obtain superior varieties
Low genetic variability in an agricultural crop is an imminent risk either because of lack of new cultivars or because of its vulnerability to biotic and abiotic factors. This is what happened in the past to the Latin American export banana cultivation based only on the Gros Michel cultivar, which was susceptible to the Panamá disease
The same banana culture, used for export, runs a similar risk because it is based on practically one clone from the banana subgroup Cavendish, the ‘Grande Naine’ (Janick, 1998)
Summary
The acquisition of promising germplasm introduced from other regions may accomplish the same purpose as a breeding program designed to obtain superior varieties. Introduction is considered a breeding method as it supplies the genetic variability necessary to obtain cultivars and/or clone selection (Elliot, 1958; Allard, 1971). Low genetic variability in an agricultural crop is an imminent risk either because of lack of new cultivars or because of its vulnerability to biotic and abiotic factors. This is what happened in the past to the Latin American export banana cultivation based only on the Gros Michel cultivar, which was susceptible to the Panamá disease. The same banana culture, used for export, runs a similar risk because it is based on practically one clone from the banana subgroup Cavendish, the ‘Grande Naine’ (Janick, 1998). The practice of selecting superior clones may contribute to significant increases in the yield and quality of the fruits on the banana tree
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