What are the main cultivated varieties of bananas in Taiwan, China? A comprehensive analysis of their characteristics
Because of its unique geographical environment and climate, the fruits and other crops grown in Taiwan, China, our country's treasure island, have always been deeply loved by many people. Today we will mainly take a look at what the main cultivated varieties of bananas in Taiwan, China, are, and then learn about their variety characteristics.
1. Lilin banana
Also called "horn banana" or "tree banana." This variety was introduced from Malaysia around before the 1980s. The plant height is about 250-300 cm, the plant type is rather slender, and the leaves are upright, narrow and long. The fruit bunch is slanted and asymmetrical, the fingers are slender and pointed, S-shaped, each bunch has about 6-9 hands, and the fruit weighs about 10-12 kg. The peel is thin and pale yellow, the flesh is fine, sweet with sourness, and the flavor is medium. The growth period is relatively short, about 10-11 months to harvest, and shorter under ratoon cultivation. It has high resistance to leaf spot disease and black sigatoka (but not to yellow leaf disease) and can provide a large amount of pollen, so Taiwan, China, often uses it as crossbreeding material.
2. Rose banana
Introduced in 1995 from the International Banana Germplasm Exchange Center in Belgium, the place of origin is unknown and it may be a local variety of Indonesia. The leaves are narrow, long and upright, and the pseudostem is slender, green with red. The growth period is short, about 10 months to harvest, and the bunch size shows obvious seasonal differences, with yield low in winter and increasing in summer. The yield per plant can reach more than 10 kg, and the ratoon yield is better. This variety has slender fingers, turns bright yellow after ripening, and the flesh is sweet and aromatic with an excellent taste. Its greatest advantage is high resistance to yellow leaf disease.
3. Dan banana
It is called "sweet banana" in Malaysia and the Philippines, but in Thailand it is called Kluai Khai, and it is one of the important cultivated species in Thailand and Malaysia. This variety was introduced during the Japanese occupation period, and is currently not planted much in Taiwan, China. The main features of "Dan banana" are a green pseudostem with obvious brown spots. The plant height is about 250-350 cm, and the petiole is smooth and not waxy. The bunch is short and small, the yield per plant is about 7-13 kg, and it is harvested about 11 months after planting. It does not have high resistance to yellow leaf disease. The fingers are short and round, the peel is extremely thin, the flesh is soft and smooth, orange-yellow, and the sweetness is high. Market response is relatively good.
4. Beijiao banana
It is a traditional cultivated variety in Taiwan, China, introduced from South China on the mainland, and has a cultivation history of 250 years. It is distributed across all important banana regions of the province and is the main variety exported from Taiwan, China. The plant height is about 270-300 cm, growth and development are rapid, and it can be harvested about 12 months after new planting. The male flower bud is purplish red, the bunch is large, and the fruit weight per plant is about 25-30 kg. The finger shape is slightly curved, the peel is golden yellow after ripening, the flesh is pale yellow, tender and sweet, and the flavor and quality are excellent, especially the fruit from March to June, which is the best. Although "Beijiao" has wide adaptability, it is not wind-resistant because of its tall plant, and it is not resistant to the fourth physiological race of yellow leaf disease.
5. Xianren banana
A bud sport of "Beijiao," with no obvious difference in appearance from "Beijiao." The plant is relatively tall, the leaves are slightly wider and longer, and it has strong adaptability to barren mountain soil. It is mostly planted in the central mountainous areas of Taiwan, China, so it is called "mountain banana," and its fruit shape and flavor are similar to "Beijiao."
6. Taijiao No. 1
A yellow leaf disease-tolerant variety selected and bred from somatic variation of "Beijiao." Its pseudostem is thinner and taller than "Beijiao," and the plant height is about 280-310 cm. The leaves are relatively narrow and long, and after the middle growth stage, dry belt-like spots appear on the leaf margins; the distorted and irregular tips of new leaves in the later stage are its main features. The bunch is neat from top to bottom, and the yield is lower than "Beijiao," but the qualified rate for export is higher. After ripening, the color changes evenly, and the occurrence rate of two-stage coloring is relatively low. The growth period is about 1 month longer than "Beijiao," and it is mainly cultivated in the Gaoping area. It has moderate resistance to yellow leaf disease, is susceptible to flower thrips damage, is not tolerant to waterlogging, and the plant is relatively tall.
7. Taijiao No. 2
Introduced from the Caribbean in 1979, domesticated and selected, named and promoted in 1993. It is a medium-short cultivated variety, with a plant height of about 230-260 cm, a thick pseudostem, and broad and dense leaves. The fruit appearance, flavor quality, and growth cycle are similar to "Beijiao." It is suitable for cultivation throughout Taiwan, China, is wind-resistant, and saves labor in cultivation, but is not tolerant to yellow leaf disease.
8. Taijiao No. 3
It is a medium-short variant found in a banana plantation established from tissue-cultured plantlets of "Taijiao No. 1," named "Taijiao No. 3" in 2000 and promoted. Its characteristics are short and wide leaves, and the tips of new leaves at the heading stage are distorted and split. The growth cycle is similar to "Taijiao No. 1," and it has high resistance to yellow leaf disease. Each bunch of this species can reach 8-11 hands, but the last hand is small, so attention should be paid to fruit thinning. The fruit colors evenly, the peel is golden yellow, and the flesh flavor and quality are good. It is suitable for planting in fertile soil areas.
9. Baodao banana
Also called "Xin Beijiao," it was selected and bred from somatic variation of "Beijiao," named and promoted in 2002. It has high resistance to yellow leaf disease, can reduce disease losses to below 5%, and has high-yield characteristics. The yield per unit area can be increased by 40-50%, so Taiwan, China, will promote this variety as the most important export variety. The plant height is about 270-300 cm, and its pseudostem can be more than 80 cm thick. The leaves are broad, thick, and dark green. The bunch is cylindrical, with many hands arranged tightly, the upper and lower fruits are uniform in size, the fingers are less curved, and the hands are flat. The peel color is darker green, and the speed of turning yellow is slower, but the color change is even, and two-stage coloring rarely occurs. The fruit flavor is similar to "Beijiao," slightly mealy, and changes with the season, with the best taste in May-June. This variety has a long growth period, about 13.5 months, so it should be planted early, and attention should be paid to controlling flower thrips at the heading stage to avoid water rust.
10. Aijiao banana
This variety has a long history of cultivation in Taiwan, China. The plant is only below 200 cm and has the characteristics of wind resistance and labor saving. Because of its low yield, susceptibility to bunchy top disease, and poor storage tolerance, although the taste is not bad, there is no commercial cultivation in Taiwan, China.
11. Red-skin banana
It is named for the color of the peel and is planted in banana regions around the world. This species was introduced from the Philippines during the Japanese occupation period, and is currently planted in Qishan and Zuozhen in southern Taiwan, China, Jiji and Puli in central Taiwan, China, and Hualien in eastern Taiwan, China. "Red-skin banana" has a relatively long growth period, reaching 15-18 months, and the plant can reach more than 400 cm. The pseudostem is thick and dark red, and the petiole and the midrib on the underside of the leaf are also slightly red. The bunch is purplish red, with only 5-6 hands, and the bunch weighs about 17-23 kg. The fingers are slightly short and straight, the peel is bright purplish red after ripening, the flesh is yellow-white, sweet and fragrant, the texture is relatively soft, and the taste is poorer. This species often has somatic mutations, and the pseudostem and bunch easily turn green, which is called green-skin banana.
12. Luzon banana
It is widely distributed around the world, so it has many aliases, generally collectively called "silk banana," and in Taiwan, China, it is also called "Japanese banana," "South Seas banana," "apple banana," etc. It was once widely planted in Jiali and Yongkang in Tainan, but because it is easily infected by yellow leaf disease, the planting area has decreased day by day. "Luzon banana" has a tall plant type and slender petioles, and the male flower bud is long spindle-shaped, blue-purple on the outside and date-red on the inside, with even color distribution. The bunch is relatively light, about 11-16 kg, with 6-8 hands. The peel is thin and easy to crack, and the stalk is weak and easy to break fingers. The flesh is yellow-white, sweet with sourness, slightly aromatic, and the taste is excellent. It is the most popular cultivated plantain variety, so the price is higher than ordinary bananas. Its growth cycle is about 12 months. Because the fruit harvested from April to May each year is of poor quality and the flesh often has hard lumps, attention should be paid to adjusting the production period when planting.
13. False Luzon banana
Its plant height, appearance, fruit shape, size, and flavor are similar to "Luzon banana," and its appearance is also very similar to Mysore, the most commonly planted variety in India, hence the name. The main differences are that the fingers are larger, the front end has a nipple-like protrusion, and the stalk is longer. It has strong stress resistance, drought tolerance, cold tolerance, insect resistance, and disease resistance, and is tolerant to yellow leaf disease. Therefore, in the past ten-plus years when yellow leaf disease occurred heavily in Taiwan, China, some people in Tainan and Kaohsiung planted it to replace the original "Luzon banana." This variety has about 10-12 hands arranged tightly, so the bunch is cylindrical, and the bunch weight can reach 12-25 kg. The peel is dark green and golden yellow after ripening. The flesh is milky white, the texture is relatively smooth, and although sweet, the acidity is also stronger, so the overall flavor is not as good as "Luzon banana." This variety also has the characteristics of storage and transport tolerance, high yield, and easy management.
14. Nantou plantain
It refers to the plantain commonly planted in Nantou and the Taichung mountainous areas, and its plant type and flavor are similar to Thailand's "Namwa banana" and Malaysia's "Awak banana." This variety grows vigorously, with a plant height of more than 400 cm, and a thick, green pseudostem with obvious wax. The male flower bud is inverted cone-shaped, and the bracts are red-purple on the outside. The bunch is cylindrical, 8-11 hands, weighing about 17-23 kg. The fingers are medium-sized, slightly curved, with obvious ridges around them. The skin is green, turning pale yellow after ripening, and the stalk is obvious. The flesh is milky white, fine, smooth and sticky in texture, and refreshingly sweet and tasty. This variety has strong stress resistance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance, resistance to leaf spot disease and black sigatoka, and tolerance to yellow leaf disease. The growth period is about 13-14 months, and longer in the central mountainous areas. In addition to fresh eating, this variety can also be cooked, its flower bud can be used as a vegetable, and the fruit in the early yellow-ripe stage can be cut crosswise into slices, coated with flour and deep-fried, or skewered and grilled over charcoal, and eaten with honey.
15. Fenjiao banana
The plant appearance is similar to "Nantou plantain." The fruit axis is very long, smooth and hairless, and the bunch is slightly slanted and pink-green. The bunch weighs 9-21 kg, with 5-7 hands arranged loosely, and the hands are relatively large and straight, with obvious ridges, a very long stalk, and a relatively thick peel that is pale yellow after ripening. The sweetness is especially high, but there is no fragrance, the texture is loose, and the taste is poor. However, after drying, it is sweet, chewy, and tasty. This variety is no longer planted much. It is resistant to leaf spot disease and black sigatoka, but susceptible to yellow leaf disease.
16. Honey banana
This variety was first discovered by the Taiwan Banana Research Institute in 1998 at the Zuozhen fruit and vegetable market in Tainan. The fingers are large and curved, arranged tightly, and the peel is thick, dark yellow, with obvious ridges. The plant height is about more than 450 cm, and the leaves are narrow and long. The male flower bud is obovate, deep purple, and the inside of the bract is deep red. The flesh is yellow-white, the taste is good, and the flavor is medium, but the sweetness is especially high.
From this, it can be seen that the banana varieties cultivated in Taiwan, China, our country's treasure island, are quite rich. How many have you all eaten? Everyone is welcome to also talk about the banana varieties that are more popular where you are.
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