Evaluation of banana varieties for the

Australian subtropics

Mike Smith, David Peasley, Jeff Daniells and André Drenth

Australian banana growing areas:

Australian banana industry at a glance:

Region Production

Hectares Tonnes Percentage No. Farms

North Queensland 11,360 322,600 93% 301

New South Wales/SEQ 1,100 10,400 5% 356

Other regions 420 7,000 2% 56

Total 12,890 340,000 713

Australian banana industry at a glance:

Region Diseases

TR4 STR4 R1 Freckle YS BBTV

North Queensland + - + - + -

New South Wales/ SEQ - + + - + +

Western Australia - + + - + -

Northern Territory + - - + + -

• Cavendish (AAA) account for over 90% of the domestic fresh market

• Lady Finger (AAB) approximately 5%

• Other varieties include Sucrier (AA), Ducasse (ABB), Plantains (ABB), Red Dacca (AAA), Goldfinger and Little Gem (AAAB)

• Bananas are largest single horticultural industry in Australia with annual farm gate value of approximately AU$500m; production is only for domestic market

Australian banana industry at a glance:

• Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) is Australian banana industry’s peak national representational organisation– Policy, biosecurity, RD&E, pest and disease management,

supply chain issues and banana marketing

• Funded through a compulsory levy on sale of fruit– 1.7 cents per kilo

– 0.54 ¢/kg directed to RD&E

– Matched $ per $ by Australian Government

• Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) manages the Australian banana industry’s RD&E and marketing programs

Industry funding and support for RD&E:

• Lower productivity compared to northern producers but closer to major metropolitan markets

• Product differentiation on the market

– Smaller, sweeter fruit

– Varieties better adapted to subtropics

– Grown locally/sold locally

• Urban pressures put constraints on operational procedures and land availability for farming

• Shortage of labour and ageing workforce

What are the big issues for Australia’s

subtropical banana growers?

The big issues

Varieties currently grown commercially in the

Australian subtropics

Williams (Cavendish, AAA)

Lady Finger (AAB)

Ducasse (ABB)

Goldfinger, Little Gem (AAAB)

• Screening site at Duranbah, NSW, for Fusarium wilt R1

evaluation and ‘clean’ site for agronomic performance

What varieties are currently under

evaluation in the subtropics?

Results from Race 1 evaluation:

Variety Rating (1-6)

Internal symptoms: Plant Crop

Internal symptoms:1st Ratoon

Williams 1.0 a 1.0 a

GCTCV-105; GCTCV-217 1.0 a 1.0 a

Cocos 5.5 c -

IBP 5-B; IBP 5-61; IBP 12 5.8 – 6.0 c -

Hom Thong Mokho 1.1 a 1.2 a

Lady Finger 4.8 b -

Little Gem 1.0 a 1.0 a

FLF-1 1.0 a 1.0 a

High Noon 1.3 a 2.7 b

• A range of Gros Michel and Lady Finger types have been

evaluated for their resistance to Fusarium wilt Race 1

– Little Gem and FLF-1 (a local selection from FHIA-18?) have shown

a high level of resistance and excellent productivity in the subtropics

– Hom Thong Mokho has shown partial resistance and consistently

rates highly in taste panels with high brix but is cold susceptible

Results from Race 1 evaluation:

• A range of Cavendish types, and other varieties from Race

1 trial, are being evaluated for their productivity in the

subtropics

– DPM-25 was an irradiated Dwarf Parfitt (R1 & STR4 resistant extra-

dwarf Cavendish) with partial resistance to STR4 and cold tolerance

Current trial is evaluating agronomic

performance in a ‘clean’ block

• 4 Cavendish selections from the Canary Islands

• 3 Cavendish somaclones from TBRI,Taiwan

• 3 Cavendish selections from Israel

• 6 AAA hybrids from CIRAD, France

• AAAB hybrids from EMBRAPA, Brazil?

What varieties are in the pipeline for

evaluation in the subtropics?