Varietal Responses and Prospects for Breeding Nematode Resistant Banana Varieties

Abstract

Diploid, triploid and tetraploid banana clones were evaluated for response to attack by Radopholus similis and Helicotylenchus multicinctus. The cultivated diploid clone 'Sikuzani' was marginally less susceptible to these nematodes than 2 other diploids. Tetraploid A was significantly less susceptible than 2 commercial triploids and tetrapolid C in a greenhouse test carried out with mixed nematode populations in Jamaica, but not in a field trial in St. Lucia. The first requirement in developing a banana breeding programme for nematode resistance will be to locate a suitable source of resistance in wild varieties.