Selection, Preparation and Planting of Banana Rhizomes

Commercial bananas are seedless and propagated exclusively by vegetative means. The banana has a reduced underground stem, called the rhizome, which bears several buds. Each of these buds sprouts and forms its own pseudostem and a new bulbous rhizome. These daughter plants are called suckers. Banana is mostly propagated by rhizomes and suckers viz. sword suckers and water suckers. Sword suckers have a welldeveloped base with narrow sword-shaped leaf blades at the early stages. Water sucker posses broad leaves, which do not produce healthy banana clumps. Suckers of 2-4 months age are selected.