Grand Naine Research Articles

Exploring the impact of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) on the ripening behaviour and quality of bananas under different storage conditions

ABSTRACT Bananas rapidly undergo physiological deterioration after harvest owing to their climacteric and perishable nature causing significant economic yield loss. Thus, the adoption of postharvest loss mitigation strategies becomes imperative for enhancing fruit longevity. This study aimed to assess the effect of postharvest treatment with different concentrations of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) on shelf life extension and quality sustainability of bananas, such as Grand Naine, Poovan and Ney Poovan, kept under ambient (27°C ± 2°C) and cool (17°C) conditions. The findings revealed that AVG-treated bananas reduced weight loss of banana hands (0.655–2.559 kg hand−1) and higher peel thickness (0.86–2.73 mm) and firmness (6.54–12.01 N) over untreated control at ambient storage condition, whereas under cool storage, weight loss of banana hands reduced from 0.761 to 2.579 kg hand−1, while both peel thickness (1.24–2.84 mm) and firmness (7.75–11.45 N) were retained for varieties. The physio-chemical traits of fruit, such as total chlorophyll and starch content, were improved due to AVG treatment under both storage conditions. Among the treatments, postharvest application of AVG at 700 ppm showed better performance in the morphological, physiological and quality characters irrespective of the varieties.

Calcium-Binding Protein and Polymorphism in Musa spp. Somaclones Resistant to Fusarium oxysporum

The fresh fruits of ‘Grande Naine’ (Cavendish AAA—Musa spp.) dominate the world market, especially in countries with a population in a situation of social vulnerability. However, Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense race 4 Subtropical (Foc ST4), emerges as a serious threat to banana production, requiring the development of resistant cultivars based on biotechnological strategies, such as the induction of mutation in tissue culture. This study aimed to identify and characterize genetic variation in somaclones resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense subtropical race 4 (Foc ST4), derived from ‘Grand Naine’ bananas, by molecular markers based on retrotransposons IRAP (Inter-retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism) and REMAP (Retrotransposon-Microsatellite Amplified Polymorphism). Nine combinations of IRAP and six combinations of REMAP primers were used. The low number of polymorphic bands did not allow for genetic diversity studies; however, ten polymorphic bands between the somaclones and control were sequenced. Of these, three presented good base calling and were aligned, namely, 1AF, 2AF, and 3AF bands. Only the 1AF band presented function related to stress response with homology to a calcium-binding protein. These proteins act early in plant infection as secondary messengers activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), initiating the cascade of plant defense signals. The fact that this band is present in all somaclones reinforces previous assessments of their resistance to Foc ST4. The use of markers IRAP and REMAP produced polymorphic bands that can, through future primer design and field validations, accelerate the identification of resistant banana genotypes for use in banana genetic breeding programs.

Agroecological Aptitude of the Northeast of Formosa (Argentinean Subtropical Region) for Banana Production Assessed by Multiple Factor Analysis

Banana (Musa spp.) is an important crop in the economies of many developing countries. In the north of Argentina, a subtropical region, banana plants grow in a suboptimal environment that limits yield because only one harvest per year is achieved. The objective of this work was to characterize the agroecological aptitude of Formosa, Argentina, for banana production through the behavior of three varieties of international use: Williams, Jaffa and Grand Naine, evaluated over five consecutive years. The three-way data analysis technique called Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was used for evaluating the varieties’ performances across cycles of production. The results allowed for inferring the existence of a genotype x environment interaction (GEI), corroborated by two-way factorial ANOVA. In order to determine how this suboptimal environment affected the development of each genotype of this perennial crop, Dual Multiple Factor Analysis (DMFA) was applied to jointly analyze the correlation structure between the traits that contributed to the performance of each variety in each year. The correlation structures between variables were different in each population and varied between years. All traits showed great variation between the years and genotypes, with the fruit peel thickness being the most discrepant throughout the years. However, Formosa appeared as a promising subtropical agroecological environment to produce banana because the varieties’ performances were acceptable for large-scale production systems. In addition to evaluating the adequate aptitude for cultivating banana in Formosa considering the significant effect of the GEIs, this research made a methodological contribution by proposing the use of three-way data analysis in Agronomy Science via MFA and DMFA.

Resource Use Efficiency of Banana (Cv. Grand Naine) Production in Chitwan District of Nepal

Resource Use Efficiency of Banana (Cv. Grand Naine) Production in Chitwan District of Nepal

Identification of sodicity-tolerant banana varieties to harness the salt-affected ecosystem

"Salt Affected Soils" (SAS) refers to a category of soils that contain either an excess of soluble salts or exchangeable sodium. Soils are divided into four categories: normal, saline, sodic, and saline-sodic, based on the electrical conductivity (EC), pH and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) measurements. At the Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women in Trichy, fifteen genotypes of bananas were assessed for growth, yield, and physiological parameters in a saline-sodic environment. Four replications of the field experiment were set up in RBD and evaluated for three years. The growth physiological and biochemical characters were recorded in the seventh month after planting (MAP), and the bunch characters were recorded at harvest time. FHIA 1 (83.4%), Saba (81.0%) and Karpooravalli (78.0%) had the highest relative water content. The highest yield was recorded in FHIA-1 (23.5 kg), Saba (22.2 kg), Udhayam (22.5 kg) and Karpooravalli (22.0 kg). The sodicity injury symptoms in the leaves were evaluated using a scoring technique, and the genotypes FHIA-1(1.0) Saba recorded the lowest score for sodicity damage. A significant negative correlation was observed between salt injury degree and leaf K+/Na+. So, the varieties that maintain higher K+/Na+ ratio in leaf and root are salt tolerant. The general ranking of the banana varieties for salt tolerance was FHIA 1 > Saba > Karpooravalli > Bangrier > Ash Monthan > Veneetu Mannan > Udhayam. A comparative field trial for the 15 banana types showed that Saba, FHIA-1 and Karpooravalli could withstand sodic conditions in the field in terms of bunch characteristics, biochemical parameters, and plant growth. Grand Naine, Rasthali and CO 1 were vulnerable to sodicity stress. Regardless of cultivar, sodicity stress increased the days needed for shooting and harvest.

Endogenous phytohormone analysis during sequential stages of somatic embryogenesis in Musa AAA cv. Grand Naine (subgroup Cavendish)

Abstract This is the first initiative study to provide quantified levels of four endogenous phytohormones during the induction, regeneration, maturation and germination stages of somatic embryogenesis (SE) in banana, using immature male bud explants, in the popular commercial triploid cultivar Grand Naine (AAA). Phytohormones are known to play a major role in the regulation of SE and most protocols have been developed for various cultivars of banana following empirical approaches. Although, several reports are available with regard to the impact of growth regulators exogenously supplemented to the media, the vital role of endogenous growth hormones in various developmental stages of SE remain unclear in banana. Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to analyze endogenous status of indole acetic acid (IAA), zeatin, gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Results from this study revealed that endogenous IAA and GA along with exogenous auxin play a major role in the induction of embryogenic competence of male bud explants. The levels of endogenous IAA and zeatin were found to be higher in embryogenic calli than non-embryogenic calli, although three different types of exogenous auxins were supplemented in callogenesis medium, but not cytokinin. Higher level of ABA and GA was observed in early and late developmental stages of somatic embryo, respectively. GA also played a predominant role in germination of somatic embryos. These findings will be applied for improvement of SE protocol in recalcitrant banana cultivars by suitably altering or supplementing exogenous growth hormones.

Assessing the effects of dehanding and growth regulators on the quality characteristics of banana cv. Grand Naine

Assessing the effects of dehanding and growth regulators on the quality characteristics of banana cv. Grand Naine

Stability of fruit ripening traits of banana (Musa species) across postharvest environments

Banana (Musa species) is the fourth most important export crop worldwide after cereals, oil crops and sugar. In spite of this socio-economic significance, the crop suffers massive postharvest losses caused by mechanical fruit damage, limited infrastructure for fruit ripening, postharvest diseases and physiological disorders. Although use of optimum postharvest environments such as packaging and storage temperatures can reduce fruit loss and improve ripening quality; information regarding the interaction between varieties and postharvest environments and stability of fruit ripening traits across postharvest environments is limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of interaction of varieties with postharvest environments on fruit ripening traits and to identify stable banana variety for ripening across postharvest environments. Seven commonly grown banana varieties (Dwarf Cavendish, William I, Grand Naine, Poyu, Giant Cavendish, Butazu and Local variety) were laid out in a completely randomized design with five replications in ten varied postharvest environments. The result indicated that pulp and peel ratio had negative high principal component one (PCA1) score whereas the PCA1 score for postharvest period, peel weight and fruit weight were positive and high. Cluster analysis grouped Dwarf Cavendish and Grand Naine; Poyu and Butazu varieties together for postharvest traits whereas the local variety was clustered separately. This study has demonstrated that hybridization of local with the introduced varieties can be done to improve postharvest traits. AMMI depicted significant variation for genotype, postharvest environments and their interactions for all traits. The magnitude of environmental effect was higher than the genotype and interaction effects. AMMI and GGE biplot analyses identified Gran Naine, Poyu and William I as consistent for ripening traits across postharvest environments.

Analytical studies on different bunch covering materials in banana Cv. grand Naine

Analytical studies on different bunch covering materials in banana Cv. grand Naine

Effect of different rates of slow-release potassium fertilizers on growth and fruiting of banana var. Grand Nain plants

Effect of different rates of slow-release potassium fertilizers on growth and fruiting of banana var. Grand Nain plants

Influence of growth regulator sprays on morphological, physiological, yield, and fruit quality traits of Grande Naine Bananas (Musa cavendishii) under Upper Egypt conditions

Influence of growth regulator sprays on morphological, physiological, yield, and fruit quality traits of Grande Naine Bananas (Musa cavendishii) under Upper Egypt conditions

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in banana plantations in Türkiye

important disease for banana production. Presence and prevalence of FocTR4 in banana plantations on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye were assessed during 2018 to 2020 in a total of 117 banana plantations in open fields and protected plastic greenhouses. Rhizome, pseudostem, and root samples were taken from plants showing typical symptoms associated to the disease and from suspected affected plants. Fungi were isolated from the plant internal tissues, and Fusarium oxysporum-like colonies were sub-cultured for further analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of 36 isolates showed that they belonged to four different Fusarium species: F. musae, F. oxysporum, F. sacchari, and F. solani. Eight representative F. oxysporum isolates were identified as FocTR4 by specific PCR and qPCR tests. Pathogenicity tests were carried out on tissue-cultured ‘Cavendish’ type banana seedlings (‘Grand Naine’) for 36 Fusarium isolates, and their virulence was assessed based on the internal necrosis observed in the rhizomes. Approx. 40 to 65 d after inoculations, FocTR4, F. oxysporum, and F. sacchari isolates caused severe to mild necroses in the seedling rhizomes. This is the first report of F. sacchari associated with root and collar rot of bananas in Türkiye. This study showed that Fusarium wilt caused by FocTR4 is present, but at low incidence (6.8%) in Turkish banana plantations.

Effect of Green Manuring and Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Banana CV. Grand Nain

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of green manuring and nutrient management on growth and yield of banana cv. Grand Nain during 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Instructional Farm of ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat). The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications, which included 12 treatment combinations viz., Main Plot (T): Different green manuring, T1 - Control, T2 - Single green manuring by dhaincha, T3 - Double green manuring by dhaincha and T4 - Triple green manuring by dhaincha; Sub Plot (N): Nutrient management, N1 - 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1 year-1), N2 - 80 % RDF + N 20 % from Bio-compost, N3 - 60 % RDF + N 40 % from Bio-compost. The results revealed that soil application of triple green manuring by dhaincha was found superior with respect to vegetative characters like plant height, girth and number of leaves and yield characteristics like minimum days required for flower initiation and highest bunch weight, number of hands per bunch, weight of third hand, number of fingers per third hand, finger length and girth of third hand and fruit yield. While, 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1year-1) treatment induced early flowering and gave the maximum values for vegetative and yield attributing characters. However, in case of interaction, triple green manuring by dhaincha and 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1 year-1) resulted in the maximum plant girth, bunch weight, weight of third hand and fruit yield. It is therefore concluded that earlier and higher yield from banana could be obtained by incorporating triple green manuring by dhaincha along with 100 % RDF or 80 % RDF in combination with N 20 % from bio-compost.

Influence of Different Growing Conditions on Growth Parameters of Banana Varieties

Banana is one of the most widely consumed and economically important fruit crop in the world. It is the second most important fruit crop in India after the mango with respect to area. The present experiment investigates the growth and physiological parameters like pseudostem height, pseudostem girth, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, number of functional leaves, total number of leaves per plant, days taken for phyllochron, chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance in different banana varieties under different growing conditions over a two year research period (2021 – 2022 and 2022 – 2023) at MHREC, UHS, Bagalkot, India. The experiment consisted of six treatments (T1- G1V1 – Ney Poovan under net house condition, T2 – G1V2 – Grand Naine under net house condition, T3 – G1V3 – Rajapuri under net house condition, T4 – G2V1 – Ney Poovan under open field condition, T5 – G2V2 – Grand Naine under open field condition, T6 – G2V3 – Rajapuri under open field condition) laid out in FRCBD with 4 replications. Results revealed that growth parameters such as the highest pseudostem girth, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area, number of functional leaves, total number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content was found to be highest in banana variety Grand Naine grown under net house condition. Whereas, the days taken for phyllochron and stomatal conductance was recorded minimum in Grand Naine under net house conditions.

Thidiazuron-mediated in vitro clonal propagation of banana cultivar Grand Naine

Thidiazuron-mediated in vitro clonal propagation of banana cultivar Grand Naine

Enhancing banana production through effective fertigation frequency management and plastic mulch: Impacts on crop growth and yield

The use of plastic mulch, water-soluble fertilizers, and drip irrigation has grown in popularity recently for banana (Musa acuminata L.) farming. A field experiment was carried out at Kharagpur, West Bengal, India, to examine the impact of different fertigation intervals and plastic mulch on the response of the Grand Naine cultivar of banana. A randomized complete block design with four fertigation intervals both with and without plastic mulch was used in the study. Biometric characteristics including plant height, pseudo stem girth, leaf area, number of suckers, and crop duration were measured. The outcomes demonstrated the superiority of two-day fertigation interval and black plastic mulchtreatment by displaying higher plants height, a greater stem girth, more leaf area, the greatest number of suckers, and a shorter crop duration. For both the main crop and the ratoon crop, the maximum banana production was achieved with a fertigation interval of two days alongwith black plastic mulch (T1), yielding 66.3 t/ha and 52.2 t/ha, respectively. The yield obtained under the T1 treatment was statistically similar to the fertigation intervals of bi-weekly and weekly treatments for both main and ratoon crops. Fertigation intervals of bi-weekly and weekly treatments showed statistically similar values for pulp: peel ratio, TSS, and reducing sugar of banana fruit when compared to the fruit quality parameters of the T1 treatment. Consequently, using fertilizer interval advised at weekly for the banana. The results highlight the significance of systematic fertigation scheduling and mulching procedures, providing insightful information for effective banana growing practices.

Effect of Different Plant Growth Regulators on In-vitro Micropropagation of Banana Cultivar Grand Naine (Musa spp.)

Banana (Musa sapientum) is one of the most important fruit crop cultivated in India. It is widely grown in more than 150 countries, producing on an average of 105 million tons of fruit per annum. Grand naine Banana variety is the most commonly cultivated banana with high yielding plantain. This variety mainly grown in the region of Uttar Pradesh state. Present study mainly focuses on the in-vitro micropropagation method which is described for banana cv. Grand naine. For this study, healthy sword suckers of three months old banana plantlets was used as explants. The explants was sterilized thoroughly and cultured on MS (Murashige and Skoog) media supplemented with the different concentration and combination of auxin and cytokinin like BAP, IAA and NAA which were used for the optimization of best plant growth regulator combination for multiple shoot generation and shoot growth. Among all the tested cytokinin 5 mg/l BAP along with 1mg/l IAA in medium concentration performed well and produced healthy shoots further at higher concentration of all tested cytokinin showed declining effect within the growth parameters. For the rooting purpose, MS media was supplemented with different levels of IBA, IAA and NAA. Results indicated that rooting was highly promoted in the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L IAA + 1.5 mg/L IBA.

Molecular insights into the variability and pathogenicity of Fusarium odoratissimum, the causal agent of Panama wilt disease in banana

Fusarium wilt or Panama disease of banana caused by the hemibiotroph fungus, Fusarium odoratissimum, also known as F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 is a serious threat to banana production worldwide. Being the world's largest grower and the origins of bananas in its northeast region, India is particularly vulnerable to this deadly fungus. In the present study, a total of 163 Fusarium isolates from infected banana were characterized for their pathogenic traits. Considering the variability in the Fusarium, the contaminated banana plants were collected from five districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, two major primary infection states of India. All the isolates were screened using universal and specific primers to identify the F. odoratissimum strains. The identified F. odoratissimum strains were subjected to in vivo pathogenicity assessment using the susceptible banana cultivar ‘Grand Naine’. The identified six most virulent strains were further characterized for their pathogenicity via in vivo bipartite interaction in terms of biochemical assays. Assessment of in vivo pathogenicity through qRT-PCR for three pathogenesis responsive genes, Six 1a (Secreted in xylem), Snf (Sucrose non-fermenting) and ChsV (Chitinase V), ascertained that the identified F. odoratissimum strains exhibit both intra- and inter-specific variability. The variability of F. odoratissimum strains signifies its importance for the assessment of spread of infection at specific sites to enable efficient management strategy of Fusarium wilt in banana.

Effect of plant growth regulators on the early growth of tissue cultured banana plants (cv. Grand Naine)

Effect of plant growth regulators on the early growth of tissue cultured banana plants (cv. Grand Naine)

Evidence of Correlation between Pathogenicity, Avirulence Genes, and Aggressiveness of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense in Banana “Cavendish” and “Prata” Subgroups

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is one of the most destructive diseases in banana farming worldwide. Knowledge of the factors of genetic diversity and virulence of the pathogen contributes to the development of resistant cultivars and management strategies based on exclusion. In this study, phenotypic traits such as virulence and aggressiveness in a sample of 52 Foc isolates were analyzed and their relationship to the presence of putative effectors of gene SIX (Secreted in Xylem) pathogenicity homologs was verified. The similarity matrix revealed three isolates that were closest to the standard Foc race 1 strain. Isolates 229A and 218A were selected according to their aggressiveness profile in ‘Grand Naine’ and ‘Prata-Anã’, respectively, to replace the standard isolate of race 1 in the resistance screening process carried out by the breeding program. Two homologs of the SIX8 gene, SIX8a and SIX8b, are present in isolates of Foc from Brazil, and the SIX8b gene correlates with avirulence in the cultivar ‘Grand Naine’ (Cavendish). These results are important to support the banana genetic breeding program by identifying sources of resistance to Foc and contributing to the establishment of the function of SIX effector proteins.