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Gabe15 · 04-11-2016, 03:48 PM

Cavendish is a subgroup, meaning it is a cluster of cultivars which are all clonal mutations originating from an ancestral single seedling at some point in the past. 'Gran Nain' is a cultivar, one of dozens (perhaps even hundreds, it gets difficult to account for them all and to define cultivars sometimes), within the Cavendish subgroup.

There are various Cavendish cultivars in production around the world, and most big companies use proprietary clonal selections, not necessarily the classic 'Gran Nain'. 'Gran Nain' is a very large dwarf Cavendish variation, but there are also shorter tall/"giant" Cavendish variants which are similar.

Most Cavendish cultivars vary in size of the plants, and size of the bunches, but also in finger shape, leaf orientation, fruit post harvest characteristics, and some disease resistance. I've never found the flavor of various Cavendish cultivars to significantly vary, but I suppose it's possible. They are also so widely grown, that the variations in growing conditions and post harvest handling can significantly alter the flavor, but that doesn't mean that the difference is due to different cultivars.

04-11-2016, 03:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,504,508 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 8,248 Times in 2,201 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: The Difference... Cavendish is a subgroup, meaning it is a cluster of cultivars which are all clonal mutations originating from an ancestral single seedling at some point in the past. 'Gran Nain' is a cultivar, one of dozens (perhaps even hundreds, it gets difficult to account for them all and to define cultivars sometimes), within the Cavendish subgroup. There are various Cavendish cultivars in production around the world, and most big companies use proprietary clonal selections, not necessarily the classic 'Gran Nain'. 'Gran Nain' is a very large dwarf Cavendish variation, but there are also shorter tall/"giant" Cavendish variants which are similar. Most Cavendish cultivars vary in size of the plants, and size of the bunches, but also in finger shape, leaf orientation, fruit post harvest characteristics, and some disease resistance. I've never found the flavor of various Cavendish cultivars to significantly vary, but I suppose it's possible. They are also so widely grown, that the variations in growing conditions and post harvest handling can significantly alter the flavor, but that doesn't mean that the difference is due to different cultivars. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.