Bananas.org - View Single Post - Easier germination after eating by elephants, parrots, toucans and monkeys??

Basjoofriend · 06-09-2009, 01:50 PM

Hi,

I read that the fruits of Musa yunnanensis are beloved to eat by elephants and monkeys in the Xishuangbanna National Park in Yunnan/China. And my friend Helton told me that one wild banana species is recently discovered in the coastal forests in Brazil and the fruits are angular shaped and eaten by toucans and parrots.

I know, that is often difficulty to germinate banana seeds. I surmise that the banana seeds after eating become to soft by gastric juice of the elephant, monkey or parrot and are wandering through the intestine in the excrements outwards. The excrements with the seeds are washed out by rain and rotting. The seeds are then germinating quickly. Many plant species are dependent on animal species which are eating their fruits with seeds to propagate anyway.

Why not test by trials, without gastric juice and with gastric juice? Some hours or one day soaking in the gastric juice or chemical similar.

We must find out how to ease the banana seed germination with much higher germinate rates.

Best wishes
Basjoofriend

06-09-2009, 01:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Basjoofriend Member Basjoofriend's Photo Gallery Location: Lucianópolis-BRAZIL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: 01 Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 926 BananaBucks : 203,262 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 138 Times Was Thanked 266 Times in 123 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Easier germination after eating by elephants, parrots, toucans and monkeys?? Hi, I read that the fruits of Musa yunnanensis are beloved to eat by elephants and monkeys in the Xishuangbanna National Park in Yunnan/China. And my friend Helton told me that one wild banana species is recently discovered in the coastal forests in Brazil and the fruits are angular shaped and eaten by toucans and parrots. I know, that is often difficulty to germinate banana seeds. I surmise that the banana seeds after eating become to soft by gastric juice of the elephant, monkey or parrot and are wandering through the intestine in the excrements outwards. The excrements with the seeds are washed out by rain and rotting. The seeds are then germinating quickly. Many plant species are dependent on animal species which are eating their fruits with seeds to propagate anyway. Why not test by trials, without gastric juice and with gastric juice? Some hours or one day soaking in the gastric juice or chemical similar. We must find out how to ease the banana seed germination with much higher germinate rates. Best wishes Basjoofriend