Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are the most important tropical fruit crops. They form an integral component of the farming systems in the humid agroecological zones of the tropics. A broad array of applied cell and molecular techniques are increasingly being used worldwide to facilitate and en...
Crouch, J.H.
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Vuylsteke, D.R.
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Ortiz, R.
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[Perspectives on the application of biotechnology to assist the genetic enhancement of plantain and banana (Musa spp.)]
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Perspectives on the application of biotechnology to assist the genetic enhancement of plantain and banana (Musa spp.)
Proper classification and establishment of relationships between and within Musa taxonomic clusters will be important tools for the genetic improvement of plantain and banana. This paper assesses the value of a phenotypic diversity index, based on 16 quantitative descriptors, for germplasm cluste...
Ortiz, R.
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Madsen, S.
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Vuylsteke, D.R.
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[Classification of African plantain landraces and banana cultivars using a phenotypic distance index of quantitative descriptors]
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Classification of African plantain landraces and banana cultivars using a phenotypic distance index of quantitative descriptors
In vitro-propagated plants of plantain (Musa spp., AAB group) did not manifest consistently superior horticultural performance compared to conventional propagules. Tissue culture plants grew vigorously and taller than sucker-propagated plants, but higher yield was not obtained, probably because o...
Vuylsteke, D.R.
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Ortiz, R.
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[Field performance of conventional vs in vitro propagules of plantain (Musa spp., AAB group)]
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Field performance of conventional vs in vitro propagules of plantain (Musa spp., AAB group)
Current efforts to produce improved genotypes of plantain and banana (Musa spp.) depend on crossing female-fertile clones with accessions that produce viable pollen. Musa accessions (168) were screened for production of viable pollen based on staining with acetocarmine glycerol jelly. Diploid hyb...
Plantain (Musa spp., AAB group) cultivation is threatened by black sigatoka, an airborne fungal (Mycosphaerella jijiensis Morelet) leaf spot disease. Several traits in plantains and bananas are mainly affected by major genes. The host resistance response to black sigatoka is under the control of ...
Craenen, K.
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Ortiz, R.
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[Effect of the black sigatoka resistance locus bs1 and ploidy level on fruit and bunch traits of plantain-banana hybrids]
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Effect of the black sigatoka resistance locus bs1 and ploidy level on fruit and bunch traits of plantain-banana hybrids
Bananas and plantains (Musa spp. L.) are important staple food crops in tropical countries. A major constraint to their sustainable production is black sigatoka leaf spot disease, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet. Resistance breeding is the most appropriate intervention to co...
Ortiz, R.
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Vuylsteke, D.R.
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Ogburia, N.M.
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[Inheritance of pseudostem waxiness in banana and plantain (Musa spp.)]
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Inheritance of pseudostem waxiness in banana and plantain (Musa spp.)
Plantain and banana (Musa spp. AAB and AAA groups) are perennial giant herbs of the tropics which develop parthenocarpic fruits. At least three independent but complementary dominant genes control vegetative parthenocarpy in Musa. One of these genes, P1 segregates in euploid hybrid progenies deri...
Ortiz, R.
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Vuylsteke, D.R.
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[Effect of the parthenocarpy gene P1 and ploidy in bunch and fruit traits of plantain and banana hybrids]
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Effect of the parthenocarpy gene P1 and ploidy in bunch and fruit traits of plantain and banana hybrids
Banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus Germar) is a major limiting factor in the cultivation of plantains and bananas (Musa spp. L.) in sub-Saharan Africa. The larvae damage the crop by tunneling in the corm. Chemical control is feasible but not sustainable, whereas host plant resistance is safe an...
Ortiz, R.
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Vuylsteke, D.R.
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Dumpe, B.
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Ferris, R.S.B.
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[Banana weevil resistance and corn hardness in Musa germplasm]
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Banana weevil resistance and corn hardness in Musa germplasm
Seed set in triploid Musa spp. L. is very low due to high levels of sterility. This makes cross breeding of plantain and banana difficult. Nonetheless, several triploid plantain and banana cultivars produce seeds after hand pollination with diploid parents. This paper reports results about the pa...
Plantain (Musa spp., AAB group) is a major food crop in the humid lowland tropics of Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Lodging, caused by strong winds occurs periodically in these areas. Therefore, development of dwarf plantain cultivars and elucidation of the inheritance of dwarfism is de...