Occurrence, Characteristics and Diversity of Wild Banana Populations in Sri Lanka
Subtitle: a catalogue of Musa germplasm : diversity in the genus Musa
By: Jeff Daniells ...[et al.].
Contributors: Crop Wild Relatives Project
Publisher: International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain
Published: 21.09.2009
Language: eng
Number of pages: 1
First sentence: The diploid wild ancestors of cultivated bananas Musa acuminata Colla (‘Unel’) and Musa balbisiana Colla (‘Eti-kesel’)
Description: The wild relatives of cultivated bananas, Musa acuminata Colla ('Unel') and Musa balbisiana Colla ('Etikesel') occur in Sri Lanka. Cultivated bananas are polyploids or interspecific hybrids of M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. Because of female sterility and parthenocarpy, cultivated bananas usually do not produce viable seeds. However, diploid wild species of banana produce pollens and set numerous viable seeds. The banana improvement is difficult due to lack of seeds in cultivated races. Therefore, seedy wild Musa species with desirable genes are a bless for banana breeders for improving the qualitative and quantitative traits including resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. 
M. balbisiana was found in areas of elevations from 179 to 800 m in 'Kandy', 'Kegalle', 'Kalutara', Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya and Matara districts. M. acuminata occurs in the areas of elevations from 179 to 1500 m in 'Kandy', 'Matale', 'Nuwara Eliya' and 'Kegalle' districts where shaded and humid climate is prevalent. Overlapping populations of both species were also observed in ‘Punugala’ and ‘Saptha Kanya’ range. 
Musa acuminata possess erect leaves with opened petiole channel; brown pubescence on peduncle and rachis; ovoid male bud usually with acute apex; purple to violet outer surface of the bract; light red paling to base on inner surface of the bract; usually white male flowers without pigments and free tepal with transverse corrugations. Irregularly angulated seeds are prominent. In contrast, canopy of M. balbisiana shows drooping appearance; closed petiole channel; glabrous peduncle and rachis; ovoid male bud with blunt apex; purple and dark crimson outer surface of the bract and pinkish pigmented male flowers. Seeds are sub globose in shape. Morphological characteristics of plants did not show clear differences between populations within a species. However, molecular characterization of populations of both species showed distinct differences at DNA level. In general, DNA variation within a population or closely associated populations was low, but that of between populations was substantial. The observed populations were located in protected areas as well as in unprotected areas. At present, Musa balbisiana, recorded to exist in 'Mulatiyana', 'Kadugannawa' and 'Balana' has disappeared from their natural habitat and found only in home gardens. These findings stress the need for conservation of different populations of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata for the future.
Notes: Cover Page: A Musa balbisiana population in Sri Lanka
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