Morphological Characterization & Documentation of Banana

Banana (Musa spp.) is a typical fruit crop in South-East Asia. In Bangladesh, banana is the most popular fruit, growing throughout the country and year. Morphological characterization & documentation of banana varieties & germplasm using quantitative & qualitative descriptors is necessary for the distinction of the varieties & germplasm & to establish Intellectual Property Right (IPR) of those varieties & germplasm. One hundred & thirty-four and 133 qualitative and quantitative descriptors were evaluated in BARI Kola-1 & BARI Kola-2, respectively. Morphological evaluation of Seeded- & Table banana & Plantain was performed. Among 10 Seeded banana genotypes, SB-06 was the best one because of few numbers of seeds, soft seed texture, high TSS content, moderate shelf life, good taste, no odd flavor & highly consumers' preference. Among 21 Table banana genotypes, BARI Kola-1, ITC-1320, ITC-570, ITC-1441, Sagar, Dudsagar & Grandnaine were the best ones considering yield, edible portion, TSS, shelf life, good taste, & highly consumers' liking.