ISHS Acta Horticulturae 540: I International Conference on Banana and Plantain for Africa
EVALUATION OF LOCAL BANANA AND PLANTAIN CULTIVARS FOR YIELD POTENTIAL IN MALAWI |
| Authors: | D.L.N. Banda, B.M.L. Mwenebanda |
| Keywords: | Musa ssp., cooking cultivars, dessert banana, Dwarf Cavendish, Giant Cavendish |
| Abstract:
Twenty-six local banana and plantain cultivars were collected country-wide in 1991 and 1992 and planted in the major banana producing areas of Malawi with the main objective of evaluating them for yield potential. Three sites were identified in the Northern Region whilst two sites were identified in the Southern Region. Mean yields in the Northern Region ranged from 4.9 kg to 16.9 kg per bunch. Cooking cultivars had the highest bunch weights. Among the Cavendish dessert bananas, Mulanje (Giant Cavendish) and Kaluma (Dwarf Cavendish) showed the highest yields. French plantain cultivars also had high bunch weights as compared to False Horn plantains. In the Southern Region, Giant Cavendish exhibited higher yields than other dessert banana cultivars. Cooking cultivars Tondama, Zambia and Nakauka and the French plantains Khazanga Wamng'ono and Zeru had yields of 20.2, 14.8, 14.0, 13.1 and 11.2 kg per bunch, respectively, with supplementary irrigation. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
