Abstract
An investigation was made to study "Characterization of Indigenous Banana of Bangladesh in
Reference to Geographical indication cultivars" at the Fruit Tree Improvement Programme,
Germplasm Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. For this purpose, seventy
indigenous banana cultivars were collected from different parts of the country. Of them sixty
cultivars were transplanted. Morphological and molecular characterization of these indigenous
bananas (55 dessert and 5 plantain) were assessed during the period of February, 2014 to June, 2017.
The genotypes were analyzed using 63 morphological descriptors; where descriptors, relating to plant
and leaf, male bud and fruit were respectively 20, 11 and 32. Molecular characterization was done
using RAPD and SSR markers. The IPGRI descriptors were efficient in the characterization and
identifying specific characteristics. The experiment included both qualitative and quantitative
characterizations. Genetic diversity of banana germplasm was estimated in two ways; univariate
technique and multivariate technique, using the data obtained from morphological experiment.
Results obtained using the descriptors showed wide variability of the characteristics that would
facilitate its use in preparing the specification for geographical indication of the indigenous banana
products. Among the dessert type accessions the highest yield was observed in MS044 (Aitta Kala,
BAU; 32.68 kg); and the lowest yield was observed in MS040 (Shail Kala, Sylhet Sadar; 2.08 kg). In
plantain type, the quantity ranged between MS056 (Anaji kala, BAU; 15.0 kg) to MS058 (Anaji kala,
Sylhet Sadar; 10.79 kg). Among the top ten accessions out of forty three dessert accessions in respect
of the highest yield per plant, only three were found in the group of seedless or less seeded type. In
descending order of total yield per plant, they were MS020 (Joltaranga, Akra, Dumuria; 21.66 kg),
MS006 (Bou Sundari/ Bodhu Sundari kala, Lalmonirhat; 21.61kg) and MS024 (Kanthali Kala,
Pirojpur; 19.6 kg) and the observed 'pulp to peel ratio' in those accessions were 3.94, 2.92 and 5.68,
respectively. Total days required from plantation to harvesting of these accessions were 510 days, 628
days and (690 days for MS020, MS006 and MS024 respectively. Differences between both the
maximum and minimum genotypic and phenotypic variances (GVC and PVC respectable) for the
collected genotypes were quite large. In case of genotypic it was from 0.005 to 25876.20, and for
phenotypic it was 0.007 to 25918.62. The highest PCV and GCV ((64.01% and 63.87%) were recorded
in weight of peel, and lowest PCV and GCV noted were (15.55% and 13.01%) in breadth of leaf blade.
The low difference between GCV and PCV indicated the less influence of environment in the
expression of the character studied. Genetic diversity from the multivariate analysis of 14
morphological characters of the 55 dessert accessions was grouped into eight clusters. It was observed
that accessions collected from the same location had been grouped into different clusters. Cluster II
contained the largest number of accessions (12); the other clusters depending on the number of
accessions are as following: cluster III (9); cluster VII (8); cluster IV, V and VI each one with 6
accessions and cluster I and VIII having four accessions. The highest inter cluster distance was found
between cluster VIII and V (90.47) and the lowest was observed between cluster III and II (38.11).
Dendrogram constructed from three RAPD and two SSR primers grouped the banana accessions into
9 (30 accessions) and 4 (40accessions) clusters respectively. Comparison among the clustering based
on morphological traits and molecular markers (RAPD and SSR) showed that the grouping of banana
accessions differed.