Evaluation of fruit characteristics of twenty-eight Cavendish subgroup banana cultivars (Musa spp., AAA Group)

In order to evaluate the agronomic performances, fruit bunch shape, mass, hand number, fruit length and diameter and finger curvature of twenty-eight Cavendish cultivars were compared in the first crop and the second (ratoon) crop under subtropical conditions during a period of 3 years. Fruit bunches of 'Gaojiao Dundilei', 'Williams' and 'Baxijiao' were more cylindrical while those of dwarf Cavendish were more conical. Yields in the planting crop and the first ratoon crop were 20 to 30 kg and 30 to 35 kg per tree, respectively. 'Aijiao Dundilei' had the highest yield of 73.8 kg per tree in two crops, 21 percent higher than the introduced cultivars like 'Baxijiao' and 'Williams'. Hand number was varible between 7 and 9, with total fingers of 140 to 170. The first hand consisted of 25 to 30 fingers and weighted 4 to 7 kg in a bunch , which were double or triple that of the last hand. Finger length of first hand was between 20 and 22 cm whereas finger diameter was bigger than normal standard (around 40 mm). A few local cultivars like 'Aijiao Dundilei' and 'Gaojiao Dundilei' were comparable with introduced cultivars in yield, bunch shape, finger length and shape.