Bananas and Plantains, 1995 World Crop Series

In a field of mature bananas, plants can be seen at all stages of vegetative growth and fruit maturity, providing a fascination for anyone who has an interest in growing crops. Banana farmers in the tropics can harvest fruit every day of the year. The absence of seasonality in production is an advantage, in that it provides a continuity of carbohydrate to meet dietary needs as well as a regular source of income, a feature that perhaps has been under-estimated by rural planners and agricultural strategists. The burgeoning interest in bananas in the last 20 years results from the belated realization that Musa is an under-exploited genus, notwithstanding the fact that one genetically narrow group, the Cavendish cultivars, supply a major export commodity second only to citrus in terms of the world fruit trade. International research interest in the diversity of fruit types has been slow to develop, presumably because bananas and plantains have hitherto been regarded as a reliable backyard source of dessert fruit or starch supplying the needs of the household, and in this situation relatively untroubled by pests, diseases or agronomic problems.

Preface. The origin and development of banana and plantain cultivation. Systems of cultivation and management. Molecular markers, genetic diversity and systematics in Musa. Musa genetics. Banana and plantain breeding. In vitro culture of bananas. Banana morphology - part I: roots and rhizomes. Banana morphology - part II: the aerial shoot. The response of the plant to the environment. Soils. Banana nutrition. Banana diseases. Pests. Harvesting and fruit care. Ripening and biochemistry of the fruit. The nutritional value of bananas. Banana processing. Banana and plantain in the East African highlands. The world banana economy. Index.

...an important addition to the shelves of African farmers and anyone else involved with the production and sale of bananas. - African Farming, ...Gowen is a comprehensive and readable book which will serve an an introduction and valuable detailed reference source to the biology of this important crop. - Annals of Botany, This title is a useful, modern addition to the sources of information on bananas and associated crops. It is also to be commended both to individuals and Institutions concerned with the cultivation, breeding and marketing of one of the world's major tropical crops. - Agricultural Science, It is believed that the latest success of gene transformation in banana will open a new area in its cultivation and use, and this book will serve as a very important advanced guide. - Israel Journal of Plant Science