Log in

View Full Version : Clonal Instability in Hua Moa


Nicolas Naranja
09-19-2011, 06:52 PM
So it all starts with this oddball plants from agristarts that didn't look right

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37732&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37732)

Then I notice an odd sucker at the base of a normal plant

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45527&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=45527)

Normal looking plant

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45816&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=45816&ppuser=4368)

I look further through my field an notice a few more with this one really catching my eye

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45815&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=45815&ppuser=4368)

I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but it appears these odd looking plants are in fact from Hua Moas and not some mix-up at agristarts.

sunfish
09-19-2011, 06:56 PM
Market them as Florida Gold

Gabe15
09-19-2011, 07:23 PM
I have seen this a lot on 'Hua Moa' from Agri-Starts. Likely what happened is that there in an off type mutation in their culture line, and they are using the same lines to produce more plants. Often, after a certain number of culture cycles, the mutation rates get quite high. Normal 'Hua Moa' do not do this, it is unique to the Agri-Starts plants.

Nicolas Naranja
09-19-2011, 07:56 PM
One of the odd things is that one plant is producing normal suckers and abnormal suckers. I'm going to pot some of them so I can keep a closer eye on them. Are they still using colchicine in tissue culture? I remember from genetics that it can induce polyploidy. The leaves are thicker and darker green than normal.

Gabe15
09-20-2011, 03:22 AM
They wouldn't be using colchicine for normal tissue culture procedures.

varig8
09-20-2011, 05:04 PM
Nick;
I got a few of these from a local commercial grower and I know they get their Musa from Agristarts. These particular ones grew their leaves in a fan shape, did not grow any taller than 3', and produced roots which climbed up the P-stem to the point they would have to be cut off at ground level and then replanted before they fell over! The leaves were GRAY. If you find any like this I would be interested in adding it again to my collection! Thanks in advance.

Banana Gallery - Musa Hua Moa Dwarf Fan (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2432&cat=500&ppuser=719)

Bananaman88
09-21-2011, 09:12 AM
Very interesting, Varig8. I've never seen a banana produce adventitous roots along its pseudostem. Any good photos of that phenomenon? I checked your link above but couldn't see any roots like you mentioned.

Jananas Bananas
09-21-2011, 10:58 AM
Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38122&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38122)

This one had three places where leaves were growing out the top also. I really thought this was quite an oddball. The pups appeared normal.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38121&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38121)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38123&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38123)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38125&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38125)

~JaNan

varig8
09-21-2011, 05:11 PM
Sorry I didnt take any pictures of the adventitious roots on their P-stems. They sort of looked like the photos Janana has posted, but there were so many roots coming from about 4"-6" up the P-stems down into the dirt that you could not see ANY space between them at all. Finally they would get so many that the plants would start to tip over. I eventually just cut them at the soil line and replanted them, again the process would start over. Weird behavior, but I really liked them> They were the only dwarfs that truly looked like in-scale miniature "Lilipution" banana trees!