Germplasm Collection Evaluation and Selection of Promising Suwandel Banana (Musa acum inata ) Accessions

Abstract

A field experiment of germplasm collection, evaluation and selection of promising Suwandel banana accessions was conducted at the Fruit Crop Research and Development Centre, Horana, Sri Lanka from 2003 to 2010 with the objective of identifying, high yielding, good quality banana varieties which are adaptable to the Low Country Wet Zone. Varietal diversity was observed among the tested accessions. Based on the investigation of Suwandel germplasm, two Suwandel accessions namely HoSu 3 and Hosu 9 were identified as high yielding and good quality accessions which are adaptable to prevailing climatic conditions of Low Country Wet Zone in Sri Lanka. They produced reasonably high yield of acceptable fruits which having higher brix value (28). According to performances of mother crop HoSu 3 and Hosu 9 recorded 14.6 kg and 18.2 bunch weight respectively and consumer preference was higher over the other tested accessions.