Banana breeding : polyploidy, disease resistance and productivity

• Authors : Stover, R.H.; Buddenhagen, I.W.


• Document type : Journal article


• Year of publication : 1986


• Journal title : Fruits


• Volume (number) : 41 (3)




• Pages : 175-191


• Peer-reviewed : Yes


• ISSN : 0248-1294; 1625-967X


• Language(s) : English


• Abstract : After 60 years of attempting unsuccessfully to breed a useful tetraploid from Gros Michel, new innovative approaches to banana breeding are needed if progress is to be made and sustained towards replacing present disease-susceptible and low-yielding banana varieties. Tetraploids derived from the present strategy of adding a n genome from an improved diploid to an intact 3n genome from Highgate vary in characteristics, but they all have deficiencies. It is not absolutely impossible that a commercially competitive tetraploid for international commerce might be obtained by this approach, but it is unlikely. However, tetraploids of this type may now exist that are useful in some situations, such as for local use and for internal consumption where black Sigatoka control is prohibitively costly. Such use should be explored vigorously. The more basic problem of such a breeding strategy, however, remains. That is, the dead-end nature of the approach, precluding recurrent selection and cyclic improvement. Additionally, no cushion is provided as pathogens evolve new races or aggressiveness. It remains to be seen, however, if tetraploidy can be used to produce useful triploids. Triploids that closely approach commercial standards are said to be produced by the 4n x 2n cross. However, none of these have been examined by horticulturists or agronomists. An approach we believe to be much more promising is to resynthesize new triploids from doubled diploids x diploids, rather than by the traditional approach involving the Gros Michel genomes as a unit.


• Open access : Yes


• Document on publisher's site : View article on publisher's site


• PDF :


• Musalit document ID : IN180753

If you want to link this record, use this url : www.musalit.org/seeMore.php?id=18088