asacomm

Hi Friends,

Here is a question about the pollinaion of Helen's Hybrid.

The question:
"Is the pollen of Namwah(ABB triploids) good for a pollinaion of Helen's Hybrid
(ASS or SSS triploids)?

The reason:
My Mamwah is now in bloom and my Helen's hybrid is just going to bloom.
Then I intend to use the pollen of Namwah for pollination of Helen's.

Does this seem to succeed?

Gabe15

You can try but I don't think 'Namwah' makes any or viable pollen. Also, where did you get that 'Helens Hybrid' is a triploid, or ASS/SSS?

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Basjoofriend

Hi,

Gabe15 ist right. Only diploid and perhaps also the tetraploid hybrids will form viable pollen. No, Helen's Hybrid is diploid (AS/BS), is one cross between Musa sikkimensis and 'Chini Champa'!

I recommend you to pollinate Namwah with Helen's Hybrid's pollen! The pollen from Helen's Hybrid will be viable and Namwah will set seeds! Do you remember that FHIA has crossed triploids with diploids, but always pollinating triploid cultivars with pollen from diploids! There are tetraploid and disease resistant cultivars created! Also Mysore was pollinated with Musa basjoo with success more than 70 years ago, 10 bunches with 10 seeds! You have to pollinate more plants of Namwah to get more seeds! You will find in fruits few seeds but viable. I do plan cross with Musa basjoo and sikkimensis in Brazil, but I always will use Musa basjoo and sikkimensis as pollinators. Never one triploid cultivar as pollinator!

Best wishes
Basjoofriend

asacomm

Hi Gabe,

Thanks for your comment.
The main reason why I intend to pollinate Helen's hybrid is that I want to
taste the fruits of the banana which are produced by pollination.
Without pollination, they will soon die as Basjoo's fruits do.
My intention is not get seeds, but to get edible?? fruits.
Is there any other way to get the fruits??

I forgot where I found that this banana is triploids of ASS/SSS that might
be wrong.

Gabe15

As far as I know, the ploidy, and even the true identity of 'Helen's Hybrid' is unknown. All of the information on it is rather vague and does not have any real credentials. If it really is a cross between an edible diploid ('Chini Champa') and a wild diploid, then the ploidy can be anywhere from 2x-4x. Someone either has to due a good old fashioned chromosome count, or better yet, flow cytometry and PCR compared to M. sikkimensis and M. 'Chini Champa'.

Also, there is always seed of it available, I do not know if all of these seeds make identical plants, but if they do then that means it is either self pollinating (with bisexual basal flowers) or is self compatible with its own pollen from the male flowers, in which case you can try to hand pollinate the last hands of female flowers with the first hands of male flowers.

Although not generally used, some triploids do make fertile pollen, so if you look around in the flowers of Namwah you may find some, but if its there at all, it is not likely to be viable or compatible.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

jeffreyp

The biggest problem I have is getting things to bloom in simultaneously. I have velutina blooming now but nothing else... ):

Kostas

You can always collect and store the pollen...

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''To try,is to risk failure......To not try,is to guarantee it''

Gabe15

This is true, but as far as I know banana pollen only lasts about 3 days with refrigeration. But that could be just enough to pollinate an additional hand or two. Also, always pollinate early in the morning as soon as the flowers open up, this way the flowers will be more receptive to the pollen.

__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Kostas

Yes,thats is the normal(or a little behind of normal) for other plant groups too for simple refridgerator storage but what if its properly dried and stored in the freezer? This usually this gives you at least a year of very good viability and with other plant groups you get years of acceptable viability that way without the need for extreme temprature storing.

__________________
''To try,is to risk failure......To not try,is to guarantee it''