MUSA

TAXONOMIC REFERENCE
COLLECTION
MUSA
TAXONOMIC REFERENCE
COLLECTION
 The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the
principal in-house research agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is
one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education
and Economics mission area. ARS is charged
with extending the nation's scientific knowledge
and solving agricultural problems through its four
national program areas: nutrition, food safety and
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and crop production and protection. ARS research
focuses on solving problems affecting Americans
every day.

Bioversity International is a global research-for-

development organization with a vision – that
agricultural biodiversity nourishes people and
sustains the planet. The organization delivers
scientific evidence, management practices and
policy options to use and safeguard agricultural
biodiversity to attain global food and nutrition
security. This is achieved by working with partners
in low-income countries in different regions where
Citations agricultural biodiversity can contribute to improved
nutrition, resilience, productivity and climate change
Irish, B.M., C. Rios, N. Roux, J. Sardos and
R. Goenaga. 2016. Characterization of the Musa adaptation. Bioversity International is a member
spp. Taxonomic Reference Collection at the of the CGIAR Consortium - a global research
USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station.
partnership for a food-secure future.

Cover art & layout design: Amil Ortiz

 Uzakan
Musa hybrid - AAB
Pisang Lilin
Musa acuminata - AA
 How to use this catalog

The purpose of the Musa Taxonomic Reference Collection Catalog is to provide information on the genetic
resources that comprise the Taxonomic Reference Collection (TRC), and to be a source of information for
breeders, researchers and other plant scientists around the world. It can be used as an educational tool
as well as to reference unique historical information (passport), phenotypic, agronomic, disease resistance
and/or genetic traits associated with particular banana accessions that are part of the TRC.

Disclaimer: All efforts were made to properly identify, characterize and evaluate the plant germplasm
accessions in this catalog. If mistakes or other inaccuracies are found, the authors would appreciate editorial
comments and/or suggestions. These can be sent via email to Brian Irish (Brian.Irish@ars.usda.gov), or by
contacting TARS using http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=66-35-00-00. Lastly, this
printed/PDF reference catalog to the TRC Musa spp. accessions ver. 1.0 is a static document, whereas
plant sciences, botany, descriptors and germplasm characterization and evaluation efforts are all dynamic.
Therefore, it is the authors’ intention to periodically update and/or add information if future versions are to
be developed.

Acknowledgements: This published reference is the compilation of work performed by many important
contributors. Key personnel from Bioversity International have played significant roles in contributing to
this project as collaborators and co-authors. Additional contributors include volunteers and students as
well as support, technical and scientific staff that have worked on the banana (Musa spp.) plant germplasm
characterization and evaluations at the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station over the years.
We recognize the recent efforts in helping collect/summarize data for the catalog by: Alcides Morales, Amil
Ortiz, Ezequiel Mendez, Luis De La Cruz, Miguel Roman, Pablo Rios, Roberto Bravo, Ruth Ruberte and
Yaleidis Mendez. Also, authors thank Dr. Jean Pierre Horry and Mr. Jeff Daniells as well as Ms. Rachel
Chase, Sirena Montalvo and Courtney Irish for their critical review of the document.

Citation: Irish, B.M., C. Rios, N. Roux, J. Sardos, and R. Goenaga. 2016. Characterization of the Musa
spp. Taxonomic Reference Collection at the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station.
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AB
Justification .................................................. i Safet Velchi ............................................... 65
List of accessions in the TRC .................. ii
Map of participant locations ........................ iii AAB
TRC characterization at TARS ..................... iv Uzakan ...................................................... 69
TARS History, Mission and Organization ....... vi Pisang Ceylan ........................................... 73
Figue Pomme Géante ............................... 77
ACCESSION INFORMATION Foconah ..................................................... 81
Mai’a popo’ulu moa .................................. 85
Wild species
Pisang Rajah ............................................ 89
Paliama ...................................................... 1
Obubit Ntanga Green Mutant ................... 93
Calcutta 4 ................................................... 5
Pisang Palembang .................................... 97
Zebrina ....................................................... 9

ABB
Musa balbisiana
Dole ........................................................... 101
Tani ........................................................... 13
Namwa Khom ............................................. 105
Monthan ..................................................... 109
AA
Pelipita ....................................................... 113
Pisang Mas ................................................. 17
Blue Java ................................................... 117
Pisang Jari Buaya ....................................... 21
Simili Radjah .............................................. 121
Pisang Lilin ................................................. 25
Tomolo ........................................................ 29
Abbreviations ........................................................ 125
Glossary ................................................................ 126
AAA
Gros Michel ................................................ 33
Petite Naine ................................................ 37
Red Dacca .................................................. 41
Khai Thong Ruang ................................... 45
Igitsiri (Intuntu) ........................................... 49
Mbwazirume ............................................... 53
Leite ............................................................ 57
Pisang Berangan ....................................... 61
 INTRODUCTION
Justification

Among the four outputs proposed in the Global Conservation Strategy for Musa developed in 2006 is: “genetic
diversity is comprehensively characterized and documented, taxonomy is harmonized and collections are
rationalized”. Since then a minimum set of descriptors and a minimum set of photos as well as a “Taxonomic
Reference Collection” (TRC) was agreed upon by a Taxonomy Advisory Group (TAG). The minimum set of
descriptors and photos allow a standardized description and documentation of any banana cultivar or wild
species. In addition, the TRC was selected to provide Musa field collection curators with a set of accessions
that can be used as reference to allow the correct identification of the accessions in their collection to the
sub-group level. Therefore, the TRC is composed of 34 accessions representing the diversity of Musa
(Table 1). This reference set can also be used in capacity building, to train new curators, banana workers
or students in characterizing accessions for which the descriptors’ scores are known.

Following detailed examination of digital images, plant characterization descriptors provide additional
information and aid in discrimination between phenotypes. The minimum set of descriptors and the
associated minimum set of pictures are, for example, currently being used to field verify accessions from the
Bioversity International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre (ITC) that have been maintained under medium-
term storage conditions in vitro for longer than ten years. After examination of the pictures and the descriptor
scores for particular accessions being evaluated, the TAG experts are able to assess whether the accession
is true-to-type or not.

The best descriptors for taxonomy and rationalization purposes should be stable (i.e., expressed equally in
all environments) and easy to score, to avoid bias due to differences in the interpretation of the descriptors.
The TRC’s first use is thus to test the robustness of the standard banana descriptors, including the set of
minimum descriptors, with regard to these different factors. The TRC exercise is currently ongoing and
involves 12 different banana field collections around the world (Figure 1; Table 2). By comparing the
characterization data obtained for the 34 accessions of the TRC, with the full set of the 120 descriptors in
each of these different collections, the descriptors/traits that are the least variable in different environments
can be identified. In addition, by performing this exercise, each field collection will have a set of accessions
that will further serve as a taxonomical reference for cultivated bananas and as a training tool. In order to
perform this characterization exercise in the most efficient and standardized way and produce data that can
be analyzed statistically, standardized guidelines are followed.

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 Table 1. List of Musa spp. accessions in the Taxonomic Reference Collection (TRC).
# ITC Code Accession name Species / Group Subspecies / Subgroup
1 ITC0766 Paliama acuminata banksii
2 ITC0249 Calcutta 4 acuminata burmannicoides
3 ITC1177 Zebrina acuminata zebrina
4 ITC0247 Honduras* balbisiana type 1
5 ITC1120 Tani balbisiana -
6 ITC0653 Pisang Mas AA Sucrier
7 ITC0312 Pisang Jari Buaya AA Pisang Jari Buaya
8 ITC1121 Pisang Lilin AA Pisang Lilin
9 ITC1187 Tomolo AA Cooking AA
10 ITC1122 Gros-Michel AAA Gros Michel
11 ITC0654 Petite Naine AAA Cavendish
12 ITC0575 Red Dacca AAA Red
13 ITC0662 Khai Thong Ruang AAA Ibota
14 ITC0081 Igitsiri (Intuntu) AAA Mutika/Lujugira (beer)
15 ITC0084 Mbwazirume AAA Mutika/Lujugira (cooking)
16 ITC0277 Leite AAA Rio
17 ITC1287 Pisang Berangan AAA Philippine Lacatan/Sgr. 555
18 ITC0245 Safet Velchi AB Ney Poovan
19 ITC0825 Uzakan AAB Iholena
20 ITC1441 Pisang Ceylan AAB Mysore
21 ITC0769 Figue Pomme Géante AAB Silk
22 ITC0649 Foconah AAB Pome
23 ITC1169 Mai’a popo’ulu moa AAB Maoli/Popoulu
24 ITC0587 Pisang Rajah AAB Pisang Raja
25 ITC0121 Ihitisim* AAB Plantain (Horn)
26 ITC1325 Orishele* AAB Plantain (False Horn)
27 ITC0519 Obubit Ntanga green mutant AAB Plantain (French)
28 ITC0450 Pisang Palembang AAB Pisang Kelat
29 ITC0767 Dole ABB Bluggoe
30 ITC0659 Namwa Khom ABB Pisang Awak
31 ITC1483 Monthan ABB Monthan
32 ITC0472 Pelipita ABB Pelipita
33 ITC0361 Blue Java ABB Ney Mannan
34 ITC0123 Simili Radjah ABB Peyan
*Accessions did not establish in the field, were deemed to be ‘off-types’ and no data was collected.

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Figure 1. Locations in tropical regions of the world where the 34 accessions in the Taxonomic Reference
Collection (TRC) are being evaluated.

Table 2. List of the research institutes involved in the TRC characterizations.

# Acronym Institution name Country

1 BPI Bureau of Plant Industry Philippines

2 CARBAP Centre Africain des Recherches sur Bananiers et Plantains Cameroon
3 CORBANA Corporación Bananera Nacional Costa Rica
4 EMBRAPA Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária Brazil
5 FAVRI Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute Vietnam
6 IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Nigeria
7 IRAZ Institut de Recherche Agronomique et Zootechnique Burundi
8 ITFRI Indonesian Tropical Fruits Research Institute Indonesia
9 NARO National Agricultural Research Organisation Uganda
10 NRCB National Research Centre for Banana India
11 SDR-MAP Service du Développement Rural, Ministère de L’Agriculture French Polynesia
12 USDA United States Department of Agriculture United States

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TRC Characterization at the USDA-ARS TARS

Plant receipt and acclimatization. All accessions were received as rooted tissue culture plants from Bioversity
International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre after initial signature of a Standard Material Transfer Agreement
(SMTA). Plants were carefully labeled with plastic stakes and established in ~10 cm peat pots and grown/
acclimated in a greenhouse for three months prior to being taken to the field. Plants were watered regularly
and fertilized once every three weeks with water soluble all purpose (13N-13P2O5-13K2O) plant fertilizer. Two
days before field establishment, plants were exposed to full sunlight and treated with an anti-transpirant to
reduce transplant shock (i.e., harden off).

Plot establishment and management. Experimental planting was established at the USDA-ARS TARS
research farm (18 28’18.38”N, 67 3’4.25”W; elevation 118 masl) in Isabela, Puerto Rico. Data collected
on plants within the plot was taken from June, 2010 through November 2012. Once in the field, all plants
within plots were duly identified with thermal labels on plastic stakes. Information on labels included cultivar
name, ITC number, plot number and plant number. Four replicate plants for each accession were established
in the field with each plant separated by 1.5 m within a row and 3.7 m between rows. A border row of
the ‘FHIA-21’ cultivar was established around the perimeter of the plot. Other commercial practices were
followed and included the removal of suckers on average once every three months, and granular fertilization
(10N-5P2O5-20K2O-3MgO + minor elements) at a rate of 283 grams per plant every three months. Fungicide
and insecticide/nematicide applications were used throughout the life of the experiment in order to lessen
effects of foliar fungal diseases (e.g., black leaf streak) as well as nematodes and corm weevils. Irrigation
was supplied, as needed, through a double row of drip irrigation lines. Of the 34 accessions taken to the field,
three failed to establish and/or develop into fully mature plants with flowers and bunches. Therefore, no data
was collected for these three ‘off-types’ (see footnote in Table 1).

Data collection and summary. Data to be collected included a minimum standard set of 32 descriptors1 for the
first crop cycle (i.e., mother crop) as well as a standard set of 15 images. Digital images were taken of highly
discriminating traits at several development stages of plant development. For the second crop cycle a much
more inclusive set of 120 descriptors were collected. Data collection began at “flowering” (also known as
shooting) and is when the inflorescence first appears to emerge from the crown of the plant. Data collection
continued through the harvest of a plant’s bunch and finalized with descriptors relating to ripe fruit. For data
collection, customized electronic forms were developed for each plant within accession and were pre-printed
and stored in a field three-ring binder. In the field, data was collected with the aid of the printed guidelines
“Descriptors for Banana (Musa spp.)” booklet and its accompanying color chart as well as several field
tools including calipers, measuring poles and tapes, and scales. All digital images were taken with a high
resolution (24 Mp) digital SLR camera. A customized acrylic plastic box (~dimensions 2 ‘x 2’x 4’) was also
used in the field for image taking of bracts and flower parts. Images were taken of the completed data forms
and combined with corresponding accession digital images. All digital data was backed up frequently on
laptop computers and external hard drives. During analysis, descriptor data across plants and across crop
cycles within an accession were combined into consensus values. A single representative image for each of
the 15 standard set of images was chosen and adjusted/edited with the Adobe Photoshop software. All data
and images were shared with Bioversity International project collaborators and since have been loaded in a
publicly available database (GRIN-Global).

Genetic data2. Although not part of the TRC objectives, all TRC accessions were genetically fingerprinted with
microsatellite (SSR) markers. To do this leaves for DNA extractions were collected from all four replicate plants
in the established field planting. Additional DNA samples were graciously provided by Dr. Jaroslav Dolezel,
as part of the Musa Genotyping Centre (MGC) service offered by the Genomic Thematic Group of MusaNet
1
For additional detailed information including definitions for each descriptor and their background reader should refer to:
1996. Descriptors for banana (Musa spp.). IPGRI, Rome (ITA). 55p.
Irish, B. M., Cuevas, H., Simpson, S., Scheffler, B., Sardos, J., Ploetz, R. and Goenaga, R. 2013. Musa spp. germplasm
2

management: microsatellite fingerprinting of USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System. Crop Sci. 54: 2140-2151.

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(www.musanet.org) and the Laboratory of Molecular Cytogenetics and Cytometry of the Institute of Experimental
Botany, Olomouc, Czech Republic. These reference DNA sample duplicates were included in the analysis as
references for specific subgroups not represented in the TRC as well as a separate source of DNA to confirm
matching with synonymous clones and reproducibility of the technique. DNA samples were then shipped to
USDA-ARS Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit in Stoneville, MS for PCR and subsequent
electrophoresis. Twenty-two microsatellite markers were used to fingerprint replicated plants in the TRC
collection. SSR primer sequences were developed and selected for their allelic diversity and for usefulness
in distinguishing diverse Musa spp.

Information in the catalog. Each accession in the catalog contains information which includes its name and
genomic group/subspecies. In addition, passport and taxonomic (based on current taxonomy that is described
in Daniells et al., 20013) information is provided. Descriptors are listed in sections and follow general order
in which data was collected in the field (excluding Genetic data). Descriptor sections include Plant, Petiole
and Leaves, Bunch, Peduncle, Male Bud, Flower and Hands and Fruit. Voucher images corresponding
to the different development stages are also provided generally in the same order as the descriptor sections.

3
Daniells J., C. Jenny, D. Karamura and K. Tomekpe. 2001. Musalogue: A catalogue of Musa germplasm. Diversity in the
genus Musa (E. Arnaud and S. Sharrock, compil.). International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain,
Montpellier, France.

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 TARS History, Mission and Organization
The Tropical Agriculture Research Station (TARS) in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, is part of the Southeast Area,
Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. In 1901, the United States Congress
appropriated $5,000 and directed the Secretary of Agriculture to take the necessary steps to establish an
experiment station in Puerto Rico to study agricultural problems of interest to the island. The Governor of
Puerto Rico, in cooperation with the communities of the island and representatives of the United States
Department of Agriculture selected the present site of the station in Mayagüez, on the farm known as Hacienda
Carmen. The Government of Puerto Rico donated the land, and the station began operations in 1902. The
early years (1901-1930) of the station were devoted primarily to introduction of new crops and new varieties
of crops in order to meet the agricultural needs of the island. Since 1935, TARS has gradually modified its
research program to the point where most of its research is now concerned with the fundamental aspects of
problems related to national/regional agriculture. TARS proximity to the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
Campus, has encouraged cooperative research programs with the College of Agricultural Sciences and its
Agricultural Experiment Stations for many decades.

The mission of the Tropical Agriculture Research Station is to conduct agricultural research to: 1) Assess
tropical sorghum and dry bean genetic resources for disease resistance and genetic diversity and develop
germplasm adapted to temperate regions, and 2) To introduce, preserve, evaluate, regenerate, distribute
tropical fruit germplasm and develop cultural and management systems for tropical/subtropical crops that
are of economic importance to the Continental and Insular United States. All research projects form part
of National Programs 301: Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement and National
Program 305: Crop Production.

The USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station is the only research entity within the National Plant
Germplasm System in the insular Caribbean region. It houses germplasm collections of cultivated tropical/
subtropical bananas, cacao, mamey sapote, sapodilla, Spanish lime, species in the Annona and Garcinia
genera, and bamboo. The lack of well established, organized and properly maintained ex situ germplasm
collections could mean the loss of useful genetic resources. Musa spp. germplasm collections exist in
the world, however genetic diversity is underrepresented and many accessions lack characterization and
evaluation data. Over time, genetically diverse Musa spp. germplasm will be added to the existing TARS
collection. Germplasm will be maintained, characterized and distributed which will aid in diversifying Puerto
Rico’s and the region’s agricultural economies. Germplasm genotypic characterizations utilize current and
novel molecular approaches for determination of genetic integrity and for estimation of genetic diversity.
Deficiencies or gaps identified in genetic diversity comprehensiveness will be addressed by introduction
of representative germplasm. In addition, in vitro and cryopreservation techniques are being assessed for
their increased propagation efficiency, ease of distribution and for backup purposes. Evaluations for priority
horticultural traits have been and will continue to be carried out for Musa spp. genetic resources. All data
(genotypic/phenotypic) is made available to stakeholders via scientific presentations, publications, websites
and the GRIN-Global and crop specific databases. Disease tested Musa spp. genetic resources are
distributed, in limited quantities, for research and educational purposes. A valid justification for the
need must accompany any germplasm requests. The NPGS germplasm request form can be accessed
at the following link https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/.
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MUSA
TAXONOMIC REFERENCE
TAXONOMIC REFERENCE
COLLECTION
COLLECTION