Mutations in plantain cultivation represent a growing challenge for growers, who need to be well informed about this phenomenon, stated Luis Pocasangre, general director of Costa Rica's Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).
According to the specialist, plantains are more susceptible to somaclonal variation, i.e., mutations or off-types, when produced through tissue culture. The most common mutation is the one known as French, characterized by generating fruits with a more banana-like appearance: Bunches with up to 130 thinner and shorter plantains, and with a large acorn. This alteration prevents the fruits from being marketed as plantains, which translates into losses for the growers.
These mutants are given different names in the region: hembras, banano hembra, dominicos, or postre, the latter in Bolivia, where they are valued for their sweetness.
Pocasangre stated that he has detected French mutation levels of up to 50% in his visits to Latin American and Caribbean countries. However, he said, the usual rates range between 7% and 15%, depending on the propagation laboratory and their specific experience with plantains, since most mainly work with bananas, which have a lower incidence of this type of mutation.
The mutation can also appear in corm-propagated plants, especially in old plantations with more than three production cycles, where genetic degeneration of the crop occurs. In tissue-cultured plants, mutations can occur from the first harvest and more frequently.
Against this background, Pocasangre stressed the need to acquire vitroplants only from laboratories with a proven track record in micropropagation and specific experience in plantains.
The International Banana Congress will be held on the CATIE campus in Turrialba, Costa Rica, from August 26 to 28.
Source: agraria.pe