ICRA-NRCB to rollout 2 new banana varieties

CHENNAI: In the heart of Tamil Nadu’s farming belt, the ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) is leading a quiet transformation in the banana sector — preserving rare varieties, empowering farmers, and preparing to roll out two new high-yielding and climate-resilient banana clones by late 2025 or early 2026.

Speaking to DT Next, NRCB Director R Selvarajan said that the institute has been safeguarding 520 banana varieties collected from across India, forming one of the world’s richest banana gene banks.

“We are protecting 520 varieties and helping farmers cultivate more in their regions, including the north-eastern states,” he said.

Over the last 32 years, the institute has developed eight new varieties, each offering unique advantages in yield, taste, and profit. “It’s extremely difficult to create a new variety in banana due to its sterile nature. Despite challenges, we’ve successfully launched eight improved types, including high-yielding and most-profitable ones,” he added.

These include Udhayam (a Pisang Awak type), Kaveri Vaaman, Kaveri Kanchan, and Kaveri Suganthan. “Our Kaveri Kanchan is a dessert-type nendran banana that can be eaten raw — a perfect alternative to Kerala’s famous nendran,” stated Selvarajan.

Two new varieties, Selection 16 and 19, are now being field-tested. “Selection 16, similar to robusta but with carrot-coloured pulp, stays fresh for 10 days and gives high yield. We’ve distributed it to 250 farmers across Tamil Nadu,” he shared. “Selection 19 has been given to 150 farmers. After three years of trials and farmer feedback, both will be launched by the end of 2025 or early 2026.”

Beyond breeding, NRCB is driving entrepreneurship through technology transfer. “We licensed our technologies to 250 people across India. Many have become successful entrepreneurs with turnovers from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 10 crore. At the Agri Business Festival 2025, we showcased 45 value-added products like banana powder, low-fat chips, stem juice, and banana sugar. We train people on making these products to boost income,” noted Selvarajan.

A world-first innovation, NRCB’s cell suspension technology, has revolutionised propagation. “From 1 ml of cell suspension, we can raise nearly four lakh plants. One cell gives one tissue, one tissue one plant. We’re the first in the world to develop and patent this. Three entrepreneurs already use it, and we raise one lakh plants annually through this method,” he explained.

There are now over 150 tissue culture centres across India certified by NRCB, which also distributes free tissue-cultured banana saplings to tribal communities in TN and farmers in the northeast. “Among all varieties, the Matti banana from Nagercoil is the tastiest, followed by Virupakshi and Sirumalai, which stays good for 10 days and is used in Palani temple’s Panchamirtham,” he pointed out.

NRCB also conserves traditional varieties like Peyan, Nei Poovan, and Yezharasi, and has introduced Popoulou, used for banana chips. “We’ve also developed a machine to extract juice from banana stems, similar to sugarcane juice, and found stem juice helpful in treating kidney stones,” he opined.

With TN ranking fourth in banana productivity, Selvarajan credited the state’s diversity. Of the 250 entrepreneurs the NRCB has trained, 170 are now successful with steady yields and profits. “More than 20 lakh people have visited our website seeking training. Every year, we train 10,000 people, including from Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala,” Selvarajan explained. “We’re not just conserving banana varieties. We’re creating opportunities — for farmers, entrepreneurs, and the nation’s future.”