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Poovan banana — Mysore subgroup dessert cultivar Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Poovan banana — Mysore subgroup dessert cultivar

Poovan, internationally classified within the Mysore subgroup, is an AAB-genome dessert and processing banana of considerable cultural and commercial importance in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and southern Andhra Pradesh. The fruit is moderately sweet with a characteristic acidic-tangy edge — distinct from the bland sweetness of Cavendish — and is favoured for fresh consumption, juice extraction, leaf use and temple offerings. Synonyms include "Karpooravalli" in parts of Tamil Nadu and "Palayankodan" in Kerala. ICAR-NRCB Trichy and TNAU maintain agronomic packages for the cultivar.

Key characteristics

  • Genome group: AAB, Mysore subgroup
  • Plant height: 10-12 ft, robust pseudostem
  • Crop cycle: 12-14 months from planting to harvest
  • Bunch weight: 18-25 kg with 8-12 hands of medium fingers
  • Finger: 100-150 g, thin yellow skin with slight pink blush at the apex, soft acidulous-sweet pulp
  • Yield: 30-40 t/ha under good management
  • Ratoon performance: very good; two to three ratoons commonly retained
  • Tolerance: moderate tolerance to drought and salinity compared with Cavendish

Cultivation

Poovan is planted at 7 ft x 7 ft or 8 ft x 8 ft spacing depending on soil and irrigation. Sucker-based propagation is dominant in smallholder fields; tissue-cultured material is increasing in organised plantings to limit bunchy top virus incidence. Drip-fertigation with balanced NPK and elevated potassium during finger filling is standard in irrigated settings; the variety also performs adequately under furrow and basin irrigation. The robust pseudostem typically does not require staking except in wind-prone locations.

Pest and disease profile

Poovan shows moderate field tolerance to Fusarium wilt Race 1 (Banana Fusarium Wilt Foc Tr4), in contrast to the highly susceptible Rasthali (Banana Rasthali Silk India) and Ney Poovan (Banana Ney Poovan Elaichi); this tolerance is one of the main reasons the variety persists in long-cycle ratoon systems where wilt pressure builds up. It is susceptible to banana bunchy top virus (Banana Bunchy Top Virus) and Sigatoka leaf spots (Banana Sigatoka Yellow Mycosphaerella). Corm weevil (Banana Corm Weevil Cosmopolites) is a recurrent problem in ratooned mats.

Adoption and use

Poovan supplies a substantial share of the dessert banana market in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, especially in temple towns and traditional retail channels. The fruit is consumed fresh, used in juice and milkshake preparations, and is the principal banana for many temple offerings; the broad, durable leaves are also used as traditional dining plates. In Karnataka the cultivar overlaps with the Mysore Poovan strain marketed under the same subgroup name.

See also: Banana Ney Poovan Elaichi, Banana Rasthali Silk India, Banana Grand Naine G9 Jain Tc, Banana Fusarium Wilt Foc Tr4, Banana Bunchy Top Virus.

References

  1. Poovan — Variety profile. ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Trichy.
  2. Banana cultivars of Tamil Nadu. TNAU Agritech Portal.