SOURCE: Ranjan Dasgupta, Times of India
After seven years of extensive research, the Banana Research Centre (BRC) in Jalgaon — which functions under the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) — has come up with a new kind of banana variety, which has been named ‘Phule Pride.’
This would be the first time in over two decades that banana growers in Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country will have access to this new variety of banana.
“Both the state government and the Central sub-committee on crop standard, notification and release of new variety of horticulture crops have recognised and notified this new variety,” said MPKV’s senior horticulture scientist Nazimuddin Shaikh, who led a 15-member research team to grow this new variety.
Speaking to TOI, Shaikh said the current banana variety— the Grand Nain from Cavendish group — was introduced way back in 1996 in the banana-growing belts in Maharashtra. “However, this variety started showing inherent defects from 2006. Rainfall, coupled with high-velocity winds, resulted in crop damage,” said Shaikh.
A study by BRC revealed in the last five years, plantation in 3,600 hectare were damaged in Jalgaon —a hub of banana cultivation —due to climatic conditions. Banana growers had to bear a loss of around Rs 30 crore (USD 415,000) per year.
The hapless banana growers in Jalgaon and other parts of the state had been constantly requesting BRC for a new variety that would prevent losses. “Fortunately in 2012, we detected a single mutant plant of Grand Nain variety with promising traits at our farm at BRC. This new variety was cultivated in MPKV’s premises at Pune, Rahuri and Dhule and at BRC. Phule Pride is superior to Grand Nain,” said Shaikh.
“The new variety promises almost 100% yield as the new variety is resistant to lodging, psuedostem breaking and high-velocity winds. It is also tolerant to leaf spot disease that damages the plants,” added Shaikh.
The maiden yield from the new variety is expected by December this year. Interestingly, the banana growers have already started booking saplings of this new variety from the biotech firm with which MPKV has signed an MoU for mass production of the plant prototype.
“We have already got confirmed orders of over 1 lakh plants from banana farmers from Jalgaon, Pune, Solapur, Nandurbar etc,” said Ravindra Kadlag., director of the biotech firm.
“I have bought 5,000 saplings of the new variety from the firm last month and planted them. I am confident that I will get better yield,” said Suresh Patel, a banana grower from Taloda taluka of Nandurbar.