BANANA (PLANTAIN)

BANANA (PLANTAIN)

Banana is one of the most ancient food plants, cultivated since the dawn of recorded history. Its names like ‘Adam’s fig’ and ‘Apple of Paradise,’ are suggestive of its antiquity. Banana also finds reference in ancient Hindu writings and epics dating as far back as 500 B.C. The plant was probably originated in the humid tropical regions of south-east Asia, somewhere in the mountainous regions of Assam, Burma, Thailand or Indochina. Arab traders carried banana across the Indian ocean to the Malagasy Republic in the fifth century A.D. Portuguese introduced it into Canary islands from west Africa in 1402. From Canary islands, it was taken to Haiti and then it spread throughout the West Indies and Central America. Banana is now cultivated in tropical parts of America, Caribbean Islands, Africa, Asia and Australia. In India, it is one of the most important fruit plants, cultivated in over 380,000 hectares, mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. It is one of the most important plantation crops in Andhra Pradesh, grown on 23,000 ha producing 39 lakh tonnes of banana annually. In Kerala, intensive cultivation practices are being advocated to make banana cultivation a more profitable enterprise. India ranks third in the world in banana production. It produces about 4.6 million tonnes of the fruit annually. Most of the produce is consumed within the country. Banana
contributes 17-19% of the total fruit production in the country.
Banana plant is a giant perennial herb with an underground rhizome. The plant attains a height of 3.0-9.0 m depending upon cultivar and cultural conditions. Large smooth glossy and light green leaves are borne on a pseudostem consisting of clasping leaf bases.

The true stem is a greatly reduced underground corm. The inflorescence pushes out of the pseudostem. It is a complex spike, consisting
of a stout panicle on which flowers are borne in nodal clusters in two rows in the axils of brightly coloured bracts. The lower 5 – 15 basal nodes bear female flowers, followed by neuter flowers, and finally male flowers towards the tip. The fruit usually develops parthenogenetically. A fruit ‘bunch’ consists of 6-15 clusters known as ‘hands’ or ‘combs’, each bunch has 10 -20 individual fruits called ‘fingers’. The fruit is a long curved berry. The exocarp is green when unripe but turns yellow or red at maturity. The plant produces flowers only once and after fruiting it is cut off.

Banana is essentially a tropical plant requiring a warm humid climate. But it can be grown practically in every frost free region of the
world. A rich alluvial soil with a pH between 4.5 and 7.5, an evenly distributed 100 – 250 cm annual rainfall, an average monthly temperature of 27°C and protection against heavy winds are ideal conditions for banana plantations. The crop can be grown satisfactorily up to an altitude of 610 1,220 m.
Banana is propagated by suckers or offshoots which arise from the base of the mother plant. The soil is made well tilled before planting suckers. The size of the pit for planting suckers and plant to plant distance varies with the variety and nature of soil. Banana is a voracious feeder and thus requires a rich, well-drained soil with plentiful organic matter. Castor cake, sulphate of ammonia, potash and super phosphate are given as top dressings at regular intervals of a month for 3 – 4 months. The crop requires heavy irrigation, but it cannot withstand water stagnation. Planting is done with the onset of south-west monsoon. If planting is delayed, growth of the plants is checked due to cool weather. Banana is sometimes planted as an inter-crop between areca nut and coconut or as a shade plant for coffee and oranges in Malabar and the adjoining areas. When suckers sprout, the land is cultivated and in some cases earthing up of the plants is done. The inflorescence emerges usually within 9 – 12 months of planting and takes another three to four months for the fruit to mature. Harvesting is done manually. Fruits are harvested when still green but have reached to their full size and became plump. The fruit bunch is cut with a typical knife on a pole. The bunch is protected from the sun and rain after harvesting and handled gently. Before transport,
hands of bananas are split, sorted out, and usually treated with a fungicide.

Fruits are ripened artificially by exposing them to smoke and warmth in a confined space. For rapid and uniform ripening, ethylene is commonly used in commercial ripening houses. For satisfactory ripening, control of temperature and humidity is important. Ripening of bananas is best accomplished at temperatures ranging between 14° and 20°C and RH 90-95%. During ripening banana turns yellow from green and the starch is hydrolysed to fruit sugars.
Many varieties of banana are grown in India which differ in size, colour and taste of fruits, and in climatic adaptability. Champa, Mortaman, Basrai, Hari Chhaal, Nendran and Monthan are some important varieties of banana grown in India. Banana cultivars, Bodles Altafort and Gros Michel were found to be superior in growth and yield parameters and suitable for cultivation in high range regions of Kerala both under irrigated and rainfed conditions.
A fully ripe banana contains approximately 75.6% moisture, 20.4% sugars, 0.2% fats, 1.2% proteins, 0.6% crude fibres and 0.8% minerals. It is rich in vitamin A and C and also contains iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and calcium.

Edible bananas of hybrid origin are valued for their seedless fruits. They are eaten raw as a dessert fruit. Unripe fruits are used as a vegetable. Many products like banana puree, banana chips and dehydrated bananas are made from fruits. Fruit pulp is dried and made into flour. Banana is also used for jams and jellies, sugar-coated chips and several other confections. Banana peels are used as a cattle feed. The unopened inflorescence of banana is used as a vegetable. Banana fibre obtained from the leaf sheaths, is used for cordage, mats and to a small extent for making coarse paper. Banana fruits are laxative and are used in intestinal disorders, uraemia, nephritis,
hypertension and other vascular diseases. Banana puree is used in a number of skin cosmetics and hair preparations. Dried banana peels can be utilised for biogas production. Banana has also been identified among the commonly available tree crops, as a potential resource of renewable electrical energy. The whole banana waste liquor is utilised to obtain industrial chemicals.