Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Banana is very different from other fruits in a number of aspects. First, each stalk or
trunk bears only one bunch of bananas in its lifetime. Second, new plants come from
young plants growing from the base and roots of an old plant. These are called
suckers and can be removed and transplanted to a new location to produce new pro-
ductive plants. Banana fruit almost never has seeds and the seeds that do occur are
not useful for producing new plants. In addition to the fruit, the flower at the end of
the banana stalk can be used to make salads.
The papaya has many different varieties, and is unique in its cultivation; see
Figure 6.9. The common papaya has both male and female plants and requires at
least one of each for production of fruit on the female plant. In practice, however, a
single male plant will be used to pollinate several female plants. There are also types
of papaya that are said to be a hermaphrodite, that is, they are self-fertile, can self-
pollinate, and thus do not need a separate male plant. Both these and the common
papaya are usually propagated from seed. There is also a seedless variety that must
be propagated vegetatively. However, all can be propagated by tissue culture tech-
niques
, including genetically engineered species.
In terms of plant growth, fruit size, and other characteristics, there is a great variety
of papayas. There are both papaya plants that can grow to a height of 7 m or more
(23 ft), thus making harvesting difficult, and dwarf papayas that are easier to harvest.
Fruits are usually green, turning yellow as they mature. They are often picked before
they are completely ripe because ripe fruits are often attacked by birds and fruit bats.
The fruit itself comes in several sizes from small, called solo or individual, since one
is enough for one person, to the large, which may be as large as a watermelon although
of a different shape. The color of the ripe fruit can range from light yellow to dark
yellowish red.
Although most people eat papaya after it has ripened, many prefer it unripe when
it is still crunchy to eat. In addition both the ripe and unripe papaya can be used in
various dishes including salads. Grated papaya can be pickled and used as garnish
on various dishes.
Pineapple is also unique in its propagation; see Figure 6.10. The small growth at
the top of the pineapple fruit, called a crown, can be cut off and planted to produce a
new pineapple. Suckers, young plants growing from the roots of an older plant
(similar to banana), and slips, which are similar to crowns but grow from the stem or
on the sides of the fruit itself, are other ways of producing new pineapple plants.
The latter two methods of production are faster growing and thus preferred. All
these are commonly called vegetative reproduction.
As is seen in Figure 6.16 all these fruits are highest in carbohydrates and relatively
low in other major nutrients. Banana is highest in fiber followed by papaya and
pineapple. Protein is slightly more than 1 percent in banana, but the other fruits are less
than 1 percent and all have less than 1 percent fat.
Papaya has the highest vitamin, calcium, and potassium content while banana
has the highest iron, potassium, and fiber content. Pineapple is the lowest in all the
Tissue culture involves taking some tissue from a plant, placing it on special sterile growth media, and pro-
ducing a whole new plant from these few cells.
