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Redomestication of Cold-Resistant Bananas

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Lauta_hibrid:
Redomestication of Cold-Resistant Bananas

To understand the domestication of bananas, we begin with two species that have an impact on today's edible varieties: Musa acuminata and Musa balbidiana.
About 7,000 years ago in New Zealand, a mutation appeared in some Musa acuminata ssp. bankssi plants, which produced fruit and pulp without needing to be pollinated (parthenocarpic fruit). This characteristic was passed from one plant to another, from this subspecies to others, and even to other species through hybridization, generating enormous genetic complexity in modern cultivars.
Sterility was an independent event, since if pollen from wild varieties was available, these cultivars would continue to produce seeds. One of the events that reinforce sterility is the triploidy mutation; therefore, most current cultivars are triploid.
Independently, further north, in colder regions like India, Musa balbisina was independently domesticated, enlarging the fruit and producing softer, often sterile seeds, thus enabling the fruit to be used in a variety of ways.
When the "cultivable" Musa acuminata was introduced alongside the balbisiana, they hybridized, generating AB plants, thus transferring parthenocarpy to this second species.
There were some plants that did not fit well with the classification and appeared to be fully parthenocarpic Musa balbisiana genetically, designated by some authors as BBB rather than ABB. Through recent genetic studies, it has been possible to elucidate that ABB cultivars may have a more complex history and appear to have originated from AB cultivars.
The ABs were backcrossed until plants with almost complete Balbisiana genetics were obtained, but they retained the Musa acuminata genes that generate parthenocarpy. A cross with Balbisiana was then carried out, giving rise to different lines of ABB cultivars. For this reason, some ABBs appear as BBB in analysis.
THIS TELLS US THAT WE CAN BRING PARTHENOCARPY TO DIFFERENT SPECIES OF COLD-RESISTANT BANANA, GENERATING ALMOST COMPLETELY PURE GENETICS, BUT WITH THE CORRECT GENES TO PRODUCE EDIBLE FRUIT.
THE PROJECT:
Taking these factors into account, we can develop strategies to accelerate this process, but using Musas with cold resistance and aptitude for cultivation in cold climates.
To begin, we can directly use the most cold-resistant and parthenocarpic cultivar: Bluggoe ABB.
Benefit: It is already cold-hardy, producing in my zone 9, and its height is 2.5 to 3 m at the time of fruit production. It tastes good when ripe and cooked.
Regarding its useful residual fertility: it is occasionally capable of developing viable pollen and easily forming seeds (when crossing it with Musa ornata, I obtained 1 seed for every 3 fruits).
Its seeds tend to have poor fertility, but if they sprout, they usually have diploid and "triploid" genetics, very rarely tetraploids.

Optimally cold-resistant parent:
Musa velutina:
Dwarf cultivar (flowers at 1.6 m), short seed-to-fruit cycle (18 months), possible to grow in a pot for winter protection, low light requirements (although it improves in the sun). Easy hybridization with acuminata, cold-hardy (USDA 7b).

So, what do you think of my project? What do you think? If anyone else wants to develop their own, I can pass on the information I've gathered over the years.

BP:
I think that was an interesting read and your project is super cool! That Musa velutina is very pretty I'd love to grow it

SoCal2warm:
Parthenocarpy is one strategy to have a seedless banana.
Triploid chromosome number is another. (Plenty of discussion about that does exist in the citrus section of this forum)

Lauta_hibrid:

--- Quote from: SoCal2warm on September 19, 2025, 02:42:39 AM ---Parthenocarpy is one strategy to have a seedless banana.
Triploid chromosome number is another. (Plenty of discussion about that does exist in the citrus section of this forum)

--- End quote ---

I don't know which discussion is causing problems with this issue. Fortunately, in this case, unusual or difficult experiments aren't necessary to induce triploids; cultivable varieties are already capable of doing it on their own. There's another strategy that seems easier, which is to use a tetraploid banana. In experiences recorded with Fhia 21 (French-type banana from the AAAB group), it produced good pollen, and when it pollinated a fertile Musa acuminata, abundant fertile seeds were produced, yielding plants of diverse ploidy, many triploids, and over 90% parthenocarpic. Unfortunately, I don't have Fhia 21, but in the future, I'll be able to use Fhia 01, which I do have.

Improving Crossing Efficiency by Exploiting the Genetic Potential of Allotetraploid Cooking Bananas:

SoCal2warm:
You may wish to try to use Musa sikkimensis in your hybrids.

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