TWO varieties of Cavendish banana were found to be resistant to Fusarium wilt, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) reported on Tuesday.
The Giant Cavendish Tissue Culture Variants (GCTCV) 218 and 219 are the Cavendish somaclones from Taiwan that show promise as alternatives to Grand Nain (GN), which produces an average of 30 kilograms (kg) per bunch.
GCTCV 218 produces fingers and yields that are almost similar to GN at an average of 25 kg a bunch, while the GCTCV 219 has a lower yield of 18 kg, but is sweeter and can be marketed as highland banana.