shannondicorse

Hi,

I'm currently looking at the phenotype variation in a 100+ year old population of acuminata on Trinidad.

I was struck by the ability of a very tiny population to maintain a degree of polymorphism in over a century.

Part of it might be due to an influx of genes from cultivated bananas?

Apart from this population within parklands of Port-of-Spain, the capital city (!); there is a wild, cultivar-derived acuminata swarm that can't be more than a couple of decades old at the Arena forest Reserve on the island.

There are 2-3 quite interesting complex wild populations of Musa balbisiana; and, apparently, a near extirpated "ornata" population in Central Trinidad.

All populations show resistance to many of the biotic conditions that hamper banana cultivars locally; and I have begun using them to create multiple ultra cheap clonal lines of banana cultivars for farmer use.

If anyone knows of wild bananas outside their traditional ranges, please let me know. I know of the ornata of Mexico; the balbisiana of Costa Rica and Belize; and the acuminata of Pemba.

Oh, I really wrote this to test whether or not I could attach photos . So please forgive me.


shannon

shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

Attached Images

	malaccensis pigmented.jpg (646.7 KB, 21 views)
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caliboy1994

Very interesting! Definitely something I could see myself doing someday. I wish you luck with your project!

I have also seen many different forms of Ornata in Costa Rica.

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sunfish

balbisiana of Balboa Park

sunfish

shannondicorse

caliboy, Many Thanks!

Were the ornata of Costa Rica feral volunteers? Did the populations look self sustaining, i.e., independent of significant ongoing population recruitment from cultivated stock??

On Trinidad, I note volunteering of velutina and acuminata ssp. zebrina in urban areas; and occasional stands of escaped laterita. But these are not true feral populations.

Wild banana populations, whether exotic or native, that co-exist with cultivar monocultures must find solutions to the diseases of the monocrop... and the solutions are potentially very useful. In terms of both breeding bananas and understanding the ecology of "horizontal" resistance mechanisms.


We interested banana hobbyists can play a big (if not rather major) role here.


shannon


shannon.di.corse@gmail.com