Short banana
443During the Revival of the new epoch of powerful state great importance is attached to the preservation and enrichment of the country's biodiversity with the tireless efforts of our President Arkadagly, Hero Arkadag. Based on these important tasks, in the Botanical garden of the Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov, the work of increasing and preserving the diversity of the flora of the country is carried out on scientific basis. Plant reserves (collection) are collected as a result of research activities. Their bio ecological characteristics are studied, the economically important ones are selected and cultivation methods are developed.
Food, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental species are of great interest in plant reserves. Among them, tropical fruit plants formed a separate group, and the introduction of these plants was carried out. As a result of the work carried out, a vegetative method of growing and multiplying bananas in greenhouse conditions was developed for the first time in Turkmenistan. The banana is now kept in the garden's collection and its positive development is monitored.
Short banana (Musa savendisshii) belongs to the family of bananas (Musaceae), and its homeland is the tropics of the eastern hemisphere, India, Indonesia, and China. Since the banana is a monocarpic plant, after fruiting, the thin branch dries up, and young plants grow from the spreading branches of the root. It is a perennial herb up to 2.5 m tall. Bananas have very spreading taproots, and very short shoots grow from the taproots. 5-6 young leaves are formed from the axils of the root branches. Bananas are propagated by these growths. Large, dark green banana leaves are 1.5 m long and 0.8 m wide.
The leaves alternate around the stem and touch it. The thickness of the stem is uniform from the root to the top. The flowering season of short banana begins 9-10 months after planting. The inflorescence grows up through the stem, then turns to the side and emerges. The inflorescence is covered with a dense, light purple covering of leaves. Covering leaves open one after the other, and 18-20 embryos of flowers located in two rows begin to appear. These are the mother flowers that form the fruit. Then the bracts open and the bisexual flowers are located, with the male flowers on the upper part. Thus, the length of the bouquet reaches 70-80 cm. Banana fruits ripen 5-7 months after flowering. The weight of a bunch of fruits reaches 8-10 kg, there are 80-150 fruits in one bunch. Each banana fruit weighs 80-150 g, is 12-15 cm long, 10 cm thick, and has a sweet to sweet taste.
Short banana, it can be grown in composted soil in a greenhouse, given that the plant has superficial spreading and strongly developed taproots. For its stable growth, the air temperature should be +20...+25oC in summer, +10oC in winter and high humidity. Seedlings of young plants with strong roots, 50-60 cm tall, are planted at a depth of 40-60 cm, at a distance of 1.5-2 m. After the ripe fruit bunch of banana is harvested, the mother plant is cut and removed. A rooted one is left and other young seedlings are transplanted to a new place. It is watered regularly and fed with additional potassium fertilizer during budding and fruiting period.
Gulzar BAZAROVA,
Head of the Biological Controls and
the seed bank department of the Botanical Garden of
S.A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University