BananaGrower1

I am wondering if anyone could share with me which banana cultivars they find to be the most drought tolerant? Feel free to list your top 5 or top 10. I have looked online and found little information on the topic. I figure that it is probably because bananas seem to all require a good amount of water to grow. So far I have a Raja Puri that has grown quite well in my desert environment. I also have a dwarf cavendish that is still doing well, an ICB (possible fake), and Musa Basjoo. I am considering getting a lady finger, Mysore (or similar). Any thoughts?

Abnshrek

I'd suggest you augment your soil and mulch heavily.. :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

venturabananas

In general, the more Musa balbisiana genes, the more drought and cool tolerant. ABB cultivars like the Pisang Awak varieties ("Namwah") are among the most drought tolerant.

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shannondicorse

Yup. You could also try ABBs like Pelipita & Saba.

Trinidad might have the most diverse balbisiana in the Western Hemisphere; and in grow-outs of open pollinated seed I'm seeing huge variations in tolerance to drought conditions in a heavy, untilled, clay soil regime.

So I can imagine ABBs will vary a lot depending on the constitution of the B genomes present.


shannon


shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

sunfish

I was just thinking the same thing

dana mastro

well I had a saba and drowned it so I got another and instead of watering it every other day I water it 2-3 times a week so I recommend trying that one out.
and whats that lingo stand for ABB?
does it have to do with groups? like balbisiana? isn't that a wild banana lol the groups confuse me

shannondicorse

Hi dana mastro,

A nice read on the way hybrid cultivar bananas are categorised by their (putative) genome donors is explained in:

Nomenclature of cultivated bananas | Promusa - Mobilizing banana science for sustainable livelihoods

...and I haven't forgotten u with Musa seeds. I'm up to my gills in banana seed, actually... it's just time that seems to be in short supply!

shannon

shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

dana mastro

oh no worries seeds take patience to grow so why not have patience to wait and ill be planting them around Christmas so really no rush its great what your doing!

and thank you for that pin on that website now I understand the groups Wikipedia seems to not be so helpful this makes a lot more sense :

Yuri Barros

I think that you have to search about Islands cultivars............

Maybe Micronesia such Caroline Islands..............or more isolated Islands groups such Marshall Islands................for exemple...........

You have to find an Island that have harsh envoronement..............such high level of salt in the soil...........scatered rain...............strong wind............heavy sunny days..........etc.........

I think that there a few Islands with this profile..............

Maybe you find an old Polynesian cultivar adapted to this kind of environement.............

I was searching for a Pohnpei cultivar from Fehi group called Karat.........and I know thet there are dozen of different cultivars in Micronesia.........Melanesia...........and Polynesia.............

In Marshall Islands seems to have Islands with harsh environement............that may have some ancient cultivar well adapted to drought situation...............