Vol. 10, Issue 6 (2021)

Author(s):
M Viswanath, Chetanchidambar N Mangalore, Anindita Roy, Subhrajyoti Chatterjee and SP Nanda

Abstract:
Kovvur Bontha (ABB) is a plantain variety and a sport with heavier bunches of bigger sized and superior quality fruits. Larger stout with green thick rind having whitish pulp, less prominent ridges and bottle neck apex are the morphological characters of the fruits. The tall plants with sturdy and sucker freely nature, presenence of waxy bloom all over petioles and young regions, rhizome rot disease susceptible. Kovvur Bontha (ABB) tolerant to Sigatoka leaf spot, having good cooking quality and it is the only cooking banana variety commercially cultivated in Andhra Pradesh. The heavy, pendent and not compact fruit bunches, suitable for the entire State. Each bunch weighs approximately 16-18 kgs having 6-7 hands and 75-90 fruits on an average. The crop duration is 12-13 months and the spacing followed is 2m x 2m. Stimulation of lateral buds and plantlet production is generally done through decapitation methods in banana. In the present study attempts were made to enhance the efficacy of decortication in elite cv. Kovvur Bontha (ABB) using different concentrations of plant growth regulators. This research work was carried out with the suckers weighing 1.0-1.5 kg and saw dust as the basal substrate. All treatments tested, showed good response in terms of plantlet production and enhanced bud proliferation, growth and better root profiles compared to control.Days taken for the induction of number of primaries, secondaries and tertiaries were recorded for evaluation purpose. In the present experiment, the suckers treated with 0.10 mgL^-1of thidiazuron resulted in earliest days for bud initiation and maximum number of primaries, secondaries and tertiaries, hence concluded as the best treatment for macropropagation.