Banana Varieties Tested for Sigatoka Disease Resistance under irrigated conditions in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract

Fourteen introduced varieties of banana were tested for their resistance to Sigatoka disease and yield potential under irrigated conditions in the seasonally dry lowlands of Papua New Guinea. Varieties FHIA 02 and FHIA 18 showed extreme resistance to Sigatoka disease while the Australian common variety Williams was highly susceptible to the disease. FHIA 25 showed high resistance to the disease and produced the highest yield of 38 kg/bunch. Other good yielding varieties with high resistance to Sigatoka disease were FHIA 17 and SH 3436 with 20-21 kg/bunch. The varieties most preferred by tasters as dessert bananas were SH 3436, Pisang Ceylan and Yangambi. Pisang Ceylan and Yangambi had bunch yields of 17kg and 13kg respectively and also showed high resistance to Sigatoka disease. The disease resistant varieties that are most prefered by the tasters will establish well in the country once introduced into farm production. These high yielding varieties will greatly boost banana production in the country and thus contribute to food security and income earning opportunities for the rural people.