Nendran clones

Big Ebanga: The variety is grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. Plant height 346 cm. Psudostem girth 53 cm. No of leaves 15. Crop duration 335. Bunch weight 12.70 kg. No of hands 7.00. No of fruits 45.

Chengalikodan: The variety is grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. Plant height 332 cm. Psudostem girth 49 cm. No of leaves 14. Crop duration 333. Bunch weight 12.60 kg. No of hands 6.25. No of fruits 65.

Manjeri Nendran: The variety is grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. Plant height 327 cm. Psudostem girth 52 cm. No of leaves 16. Crop duration 336. Bunch weight 14 kg. No of hands 6.86. No of fruits 65.

Nedunendran: The variety is grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. Plant height 292 cm. Psudostem girth 46 cm. No of leaves 14. Crop duration 290. Bunch weight 10.50 kg. No of hands 5.53. No of fruits 47.6.

Zanzibar: The variety is grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. Plant height 351 cm. Psudostem girth 56 cm. No of leaves 15. Crop duration 331. Bunch weight 11.75 kg. No of hands 2.30. No of fruits 23.

Other fruit varieties

Amritsagar: Amritsagar is a one of the choicest banana varieties of India. The variety is said to have its origin in West Bengal. The plant is medium sized, fruit size good, rind medium thick.  The fruits are very tasty and have whitish flesh. It is best suitable for homestead cultivation. However, commercial cultivation of the variety is not recommended because of its low bunch weight.

Bodles Altafort: This variety is recommended for high range regions.

BRS-1: It is triploid hybrid of banana by crossing Agniswar x Pisang Lilin developed at Banana Research Station, Kannara, Kerala Agricultural University. It is a medium tall plant, supporting 14-16 kg bunch without propping. Elongated fruits turn attractive golden yellow on ripening. Slightly acid fruits. It has a remarkable early rationing ability completing four crops in three years. It is a promising hybrid owing to short cropping cycle resistance to leaf spot,Fusarium wilt and burrowing nematode.

BRS-2: It is a hybrid of Vannan x Pisang Lilin developed at Kannara Banana research station, Kerala Agricultural University. It is medium stature plant. Average weight of bunch ranges from 15-20 kg with short, stout, dark green Poovan like fruits which are arranged compactly. Fruits are slightly acidic with pleasant sweet-sour aroma. Tolerance to leaf spot diseases and nematodes.

Chenkadali: Chenkadali is an important commercial variety of banana. The colour of the pseudostem, petiole, midrib and fruit rind is purplish red. Hence, the variety is often called as  Chorakadali, Chorapoovan, Raktha Kadali, Kappa Vazhai, etc. It is a robust plant with bunches weighing 20-30 kg under good management practices. Fruits are sweet, orange yellow coloured and with a pleasant aroma.

Chinali: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala.

Dudhsagar: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala.

Dwarf Cavendish: Dwarf Cavendish is an important commercial variety of banana. Very low stature and highly recommended in windy areas. Suitable for high density planting. The fruits are green and the flesh is pale yellow and sweet. Bunch weight 20 – 25kg, 12 hands, 150 or more fruits.

Giant Governor: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala.

Gros Michael: Gros Michael is one of the most preferred varieties in international markets. The variety once ranked the number one position in desirable fruit characters like size, quality, flavour, and attractive skin colour, resistance to bruising, grade yield, symmetry and strength of bunch. However, the most serious demerit of this cultivar is its susceptibility to wilt. Hence, cultivation should be done only under careful management practices.

Karpooravally: Karpuravalli is an important variety of banana producing scented fruits. Its ash coated golden yellow and sweet fruits have good keeping quality. Karpuravalli is highly susceptible to wilt disease, tolerant to leaf spot disease and well suited for drought, salt affected areas and for low input conditions. The average bunch weight is 15 – 20 kg. The variety is also known as Vellapalayankodan, Kudumbavazhai etc.

Koompillakannan: It is an important variety of banana suitable for homestead cultivation. The variety comes up well in average management conditions. It is devoid of male bud. The fruits are sweet and tasty. However, they easily get separated from the bunch. Hence, keeping quality is very poor.

Mosmarie: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala.

Njalipoovan: Njalipoovan is an important cultivated variety of banana grown for fruit purpose. The plants are medium-sized with slender, yellowish pseudostem having reddish petiole margin. The fruits are small, highly fragrant, tasty, powdery and firm. The average bunch weight is about 12 kg. The variety is also known as Ney poovan, Rasakadali, Vadakan kadali, Elakibale, safed velchi etc.

Palayankodan: Palayamkodan is a variety cultivated for both fruit and vegetable purpose. The variety has been adjudged as the most suitable cultivar of banana for intercropping in coconut gardens. The fruit is medium to small, yellow skinned, firm fleshed with a sub-acid taste. It has a good keeping quality. The average bunch weight is 14 kg. And the variety is also known as maysore poovan.

Poomkalli: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala.

Poovan: Poovan is an important variety of banana grown for fruit purpose. The fruits are fairly larger in size than palayamkodan and are bright glossy yellow in appearance. The plant is highly susceptible to panama wilt, and leaf spot diseases. Hence, cultivation can be taken up only under good field conditions. The average weight of the bunch is 10 kg. And the variety is also known under the name rasthali.

Robusta: Robusta is an important commercial variety of banana cultivated for fruit purpose. The variety is semi-tall and little susceptible to wind damage. It has a slightly thicker and more rigid bunch stalk and produces heavy yield. The fruits are light green with creamy white, soft and buttery flush. The average bunch weight is 14 kg.

Yangambi: It is an important commercial variety of banana recommended for cultivation in Kerala. An excellent tasting small dessert banana. It is very disease resistant and sturdy. Height about 12 feet.

Culinary varieties

Batheesa: It is an important variety of banana used for vegetable purpose.

Kanchikela: It is a variety of banana grown for both fruit and vegetable purpose. The plant is tall, robust, light green, very hardy and grows under rainfed condition. Average bunch weight is about 15 kg. The fruits are mainly used for preparation “bajji”.

Monthan: It is a fairly tall and robust plant weighing a bunch of 18-20 kg. Fruits are bold, stocky, knobbed and pale green in colour. Apart from its culinary purpose, pith is highly relished vegetable with lot of medicinal properties. Male flowers without stamens are also used as a popular dish. It is highly susceptible to banana bract mosaic virus and Fusarium wilt disease.

Nendrapadathy: It is a variety of banana cultivated for both fruit and vegetable purpose. The principal advantage of the variety is its shorter duration of 10 months. The variety comes up well in average management conditions. And the average bunch weight of the variety is 10 kg.