Botanical_Bryce
10-06-2018, 11:36 PM
Musa Pitu did very well this year. Averaging 10 to 12 feet. Seems to produce large bunches but the biggest bunches I chopped down for being late and moving the mats. They seemed to fruit bigger bunches and more freely than Orinoco but I paid more attention to the Pitu so it may have made a difference. Besides better fruit production overall the Pitu and Orinoco seem near identical. Not considering possible variables, the Pitu seems more astringent and starchy than Orinoco with a tougher peel. There could be environmental reasons for that so I am not holding that as a solid point just an observation. Orinoco seems sweeter in the end and Pitu seems a tad more bland. The Orinoco seems to have more Orange and the Pitu seems more White. Superficially the Pitu seems very Orinoco like. Even though the Orinoco is considered a cooking type I see the Pitu even more as a cooking type. We liked it as tostones and fried starchy. It is worth growing for the larger amounts of fruits than average on Orinoco but not worth replacing Orinoco with. Worth growing for people who use cooking bananas or like the starch. Ill show the ripe fruit after I make my video about it.
Pitu Flowers
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43248191_2073703269317130_1756800159896829952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&oh=29c929b01e2f421911ed2d2c7267966c&oe=5C567ED0
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43255901_2073703249317132_4527309466047086592_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=8216f4eb1ac74032c7bc04ba72acbdd2&oe=5C588A79
Pitu young fruit
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43253579_2073684115985712_6462964923281440768_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&oh=d22eb0b7fe417b2411dc7c7ae867d932&oe=5C6245FA
Unripe Fruit
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43346087_2073684135985710_7494619082847682560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&oh=8965fd531e5ac5c1cd9c02b9dea70505&oe=5C1D935A
Orinoco left Pitu right. Not all Pitu are rounded like that. This was a bottom hand.
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43376077_2073684159319041_4879167360327483392_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=70df77e80193d4fce4486affa30b0844&oe=5C5EB240
Pitu top Orinoco bottom
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43319854_2073684282652362_8970373401986203648_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&oh=a761c501e6282513a2938e16bb5fdddd&oe=5C18AC4D
Unripe Comparison. Orinoco top and Pitu Bottom
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43325177_2073684272652363_7929289551527280640_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&oh=e6079b0b8837dc83fb374bf9100368f6&oe=5C57A477
Another thing to consider is that Musa Pitu supplied by TARS may not even be the real Musa Pitu.
https://www.crop-diversity.org/mgis/content/01bel084777-pitu-0
Here is the TARS example which is the one I have.
https://www.crop-diversity.org/mgis/accession/01USA108137
Pitu Flowers
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43248191_2073703269317130_1756800159896829952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&oh=29c929b01e2f421911ed2d2c7267966c&oe=5C567ED0
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43255901_2073703249317132_4527309466047086592_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=8216f4eb1ac74032c7bc04ba72acbdd2&oe=5C588A79
Pitu young fruit
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43253579_2073684115985712_6462964923281440768_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&oh=d22eb0b7fe417b2411dc7c7ae867d932&oe=5C6245FA
Unripe Fruit
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43346087_2073684135985710_7494619082847682560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&oh=8965fd531e5ac5c1cd9c02b9dea70505&oe=5C1D935A
Orinoco left Pitu right. Not all Pitu are rounded like that. This was a bottom hand.
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43376077_2073684159319041_4879167360327483392_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=70df77e80193d4fce4486affa30b0844&oe=5C5EB240
Pitu top Orinoco bottom
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43319854_2073684282652362_8970373401986203648_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&oh=a761c501e6282513a2938e16bb5fdddd&oe=5C18AC4D
Unripe Comparison. Orinoco top and Pitu Bottom
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43325177_2073684272652363_7929289551527280640_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&oh=e6079b0b8837dc83fb374bf9100368f6&oe=5C57A477
Another thing to consider is that Musa Pitu supplied by TARS may not even be the real Musa Pitu.
https://www.crop-diversity.org/mgis/content/01bel084777-pitu-0
Here is the TARS example which is the one I have.
https://www.crop-diversity.org/mgis/accession/01USA108137