BANANA: GENETIC RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN TRIPURA AND PARTS OF NORTH-EASTERN INDIA

S.C. DAS¹*, S. UMA², M.S. SARAWATHI³, P. DURAI⁴, P. DEBNATH⁵, P. PAUL⁶, S. SAHA^7
1Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Agartala, 799210, Tripura University, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
²Director, ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Thayanur, Tiruchirapalli, 620 102, India
³Principal Scientists, ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Thayanur, Tiruchirapalli, 620 102, India
⁴Scientist, ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Thayanur, Tiruchirapalli, 620 102, India
⁵College of Agriculture, Agartala, 799210, Tripura University, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
⁶College of Agriculture, Agartala, 799210, Tripura University, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
⁷College of Agriculture, Agartala, 799210, Tripura University, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
* Corresponding Author : sukhenchandra@rediffmail.com

Received : 04-12-2019     Accepted : 07-01-2020     Published : 30-01-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 1       Pages : 689 - 692
Genetics 12.1 (2020):689-692

Keywords : Genetic resources, Wild species, Banana, Tripura, Morphological characters
Academic Editor : I S Chakrapani, Vipul N Kapadia
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, for providing financial support. Authors are also thankful to ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Thayanur, Tiruchirapalli, 620 102, India and Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Agartala, 799210, Tripura University, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Banana (Musa sp.) is a most significant fruit crop of Tripura next to Jackfruit and Pineapple is available and grown commercially by different tribal and Bengali communities. There are many local and traditional banana varieties are grown and different parts like Pseudo stem, Leaf sheath, male flower buds, unripe banana were used as vegetables. Seeds were using medicinal purpose by local tribes of Tripura and other north eastern states. Some wild species of banana like Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, Musa ornata, Musa laterita- hybrid, Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum, etc have been recorded in the Tripura. Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum were also fund in Tripura. Most important banana cultivars are ShabriKela(AAB), Martaman(AAB), Malbhog(AAB), Samai/Gopi/BanglaKela-1(AAB), Samai/Gopi/Bangla Kela-2(ABB), ChampaKela (AAB), Mizo-Cavindish (AAA), Katch Kela-1(ABB), Katch Kela-2(ABB), Katch Kela-3(ABB), Kanai Bansi (AA), Red Banana (AAA), in addition to the commercial cultivars wild forms like AttiaKela (BB), AthiaKol(BB) and Bhimkol (BB)were distributed in Tripura. Collected genotypes were assigned their genome like AA, AAA, AAB and ABB through 15-character score card systems. Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana designated by A and B genome. The genome scored from 1 to 5. Musa acuminata were given the score of 1 and Musa balbisiana were scored as 5. Most of the cultivars are triploids in nature and some are classified diploid. The wild banana like Attia Kela (BB), Bhimkol (BB), Musa spp. like Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum and many more seeded bananas are grown, whose pseudo stem, leaf sheath, flower bud, ripe banana are edible and used by tribal communities, rural and urban people of the state. Out of which nine important local and traditional cultivars/ varieties of banana grown for edible purpose like ShabriKela(AAB), Samai/Gopi/Bangla Kela(ABB), ChampaKela (AAB), Mizo-Cavindish (AAA), KatchKela (ABB), Kanai Basi (AA), Attia Kela (BB) AthiaKol(BB) and Bhimkol (BB),are grown in different parts of Tripura and North-Eastern states. The present finding banana genetic resources of Tripura which will be utilized in crop improvement, breeding and conservation

1. Anonymous (1995) Research report. All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Tropical fruits, Bangalore, 60-62.
2. Anonymous (2014) Annual report 2013-2014. Department of Horticulture, Government of Tripura, India.
3. Das S.C., Kar A. and Bahadur A. (2012) In: Proc. National conference on Adaption to climate change for sustained production of Banana, P-103.
4. Das S.C., and Irenaeus K.S. Th. (2018) Biodiversity of Horticultural Crops, 6,125-156.
5. Stover R.H. and Simmonds N.W. (1987) Bananas, Harlow, Essex, England: Longman Scientific & Technical; New York: Wiley, 1987, ISBN: 0470206845.
6. Singh H. P and Uma S. (1996) In: Proc. Conference on Challenges for Banana Production and Utilization in 21stCentury, Trichy, pp 24-25.
7. Simmonds N.W. and Shepherd K. (1955) J. Linn.Soc.Bot., 55, 302-12.
8. Linnaeus C. (1763) Musa. In: Species Plantarum. Vol.2 (ed.10). Holmiae: Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii, 1477-1478.
9. IPGRI-INIBAP/ CIRAD, (1996) Descriptor for banana (Musa spp.) INIBAP, Parc Scientifique Agropolis, Montpellier, France, 55.
10. Singh H.P., Uma S. and Sathiamoorthy (2001) National Research Centre for Banana, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Trichy, India pp.1-61.
11. Silayoi B. and Chomchalow N. (1987) In: Proc. Int. Workshop (Eds. G.J. Persely and E.A. De Longhe), Cairns. Australia, 1986. ACIAR Proc. No. 21: 157-160.
12. Das S.C., Prakash J., Suresh C.P. and Das A. (2010) In: Proc. Global Conference on Banana “Meeting the Challenges in Banana and Plantain for Emerging Biotic and Abiotic Stress”. Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, P-7.
13. Das S.C., Irenaeus K.S.Th. and Suresh C.P. (2015) In: Proc. International Symposium on “Next Generation Approaches for Sustainable Development of Hill and Upland Horticulture, P-97.