Tiruchy NRCB to release two high-yielding banana varieties
Addressing during the 32nd Foundation Day and Kisan Mela, Selvarajan said, the NRCB has so far developed and released eight climate-resilient banana varieties, and this year, two elite clones were added for release.;
Kaveri Saba and Kaveri Kalki variety
CHENNAI: The ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana in Tiruchy has planned to release two new elite varieties of banana, which are high-yielding and rich in Provitamin A and would be resistant to Eumusae leaf spot disease, said the Director R Selvarajan here on Thursday.
Addressing during the 32nd Foundation Day and Kisan Mela, Selvarajan said, the NRCB has so far developed and released eight climate-resilient banana varieties, and this year, two elite clones were added for release.
NRCB Selection 16 is rich in provitamin A, nearly 10 times higher than that of conventional Grand Nain. With its yellow pulp, just five fruits are sufficient to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, he said.
The other variety, NRCB Selection 19, a Pacha Ladan type, was found to be 40 per cent high-yielding and resistant to Eumusae leaf spot disease, eliminating the need for fungicide sprays, thereby promoting sustainability and environmental safety, he said.
The director further said that the institute continues to promote Geographical Indication (GI) and traditional banana varieties to avoid monoclonal cultivation. “This year alone, over 78,000 tissue-cultured plants were produced through high-throughput bioreactor technology, covering varieties such as Ney Poovan, Nendran, Red Banana, and NRCB-developed varieties, and these were supplied to farmers across 25 districts,” Selvarajan said.
Meanwhile, he emphasised that smart farming initiatives integrating AI, IoT, drones, remote sensing, and data analytics have reduced water use without compromising yield. “More than four million parent banana plants were virus-tested and certified this year through Genetic Fidelity Services,” said Selvarajan, who is also an expert in plant virology.
Tusar Kanti Behera, the Director of ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticulture, the chief guest of the event, lauded NRCB’s research and development efforts, emphasising the importance of quality planting material for disease-free, high-yield banana cultivation.
During the event, three MoUs were signed with the Tribal Welfare Department (Tamil Nadu), Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd (Jalgaon), and the Government of Nagaland. Three extension pamphlets and three new products were also released.