Introduction to Banana Varieties: The Cultivation History and Disease Resistance of Xianrenjiao and Aijiaojiao
Banana yellow leaf disease is a rather serious disease, and when encountering this kind of disease it must be dealt with promptly. Let us now learn about the characteristics of Xianrenjiao and Aijiaojiao!
Xianrenjiao: "Xianrenjiao" is a bud sport of "Beijiao". In the 8th year of the Republic of China, it was discovered by the farmer Lin Chuan in Zhuzikeng, Taichung. At that time, banana bunchy top disease was pandemic, but Xianrenjiao did not suffer from bunchy top disease. The farmers considered it a gift from the immortals, so it was called "Xianrenjiao" and was consequently planted in large quantities; but perhaps because of its long cultivation history and continuous propagation of new growth, its disease resistance is no longer evident today.
"Xianrenjiao" is very similar in appearance to "Beijiao", with extremely slight differences, but the Xianrenjiao plant is taller than Beijiao, and its leaves are narrower and longer. Like Beijiao, Xianrenjiao, because its plant is taller, has weaker wind resistance, and its leaf shape ratio is mostly above 2.6. The male flower bracts all fall off in summer, but at low temperatures in winter, some often remain, and this phenomenon of the bracts all falling off after flowering is also one of its characteristics. Xianrenjiao has strong adaptability to barren mountain soil, so it is planted most in central banana orchards, and the bananas generally called "shanjiao" or "Taichung jiao" should all belong to this variety. The growth period of Xianrenjiao is about 15-20 days longer than that of Beijiao, and apart from the taller plant, its yield, fruit shape and quality are all superior to Beijiao, but it is still easily infected by Panama disease in this province.
Aijiaojiao: Aijiaojiao belongs taxonomically to the Dwarf Cavendish group, and has a long history of cultivation in Taiwan, China. Its leaves are short and wide, with a leaf shape ratio of 1.8-2.2, most male flower bracts remain, almost all remain in winter, and it has especially many neutral flowers. The Aijiaojiao plant is especially short, only about 1.5 m in height, and because its plant is short, its wind resistance is the strongest. Taiwan, China lies in the typhoon belt, so in principle Aijiaojiao should be cultivated, but because it is easily infected by bunchy top disease, and in addition many new banana varieties have been continuously planted, its yield is far lower than that of Xianrenjiao and Beijiao.
Aijiaojiao is now only sporadically cultivated in Taiwan, China, and as far as is known it is only occasionally planted in field ridges and roadsides in Tainan or other areas; the fruit bunch of Aijiaojiao today is smaller and more pointed, its taste and flavour are inferior to "Beijiao", and its fruit stalk is shorter, especially evident at low temperatures in winter, so that the fruit bunch has difficulty in emerging or tilts, making the fruit shape irregular, and in addition, because it does not keep well for storage and transport, there is no commercial cultivation in Taiwan, China; although Aijiaojiao is now less cultivated in Taiwan, China, it can still be regarded as an important commercial variety in the world.
