Assessing potential pockets on climate suitability for sustainable Hill Banana (Virupakshi - AAB variety) cultivation in India

Ecological niche modelling or predictive habitat for cultivation framework for Virupakshi, an important hill banana variety in Tamil Nadu state has been analyzed using Maximum Entropy method. Based on the model, potential regions in Tamil Nadu (hills of Tirunelveli, Theni and Tiruchirapalli districts) and Kerala (hill areas of Idukki, Palakkad and Pathanamthitta districts) were identified for cultivation of Virupakshi variety in addition to the existing Palani and Shervaroys hill ranges of Tamil Nadu. In-situ, on-farm conservation and other genetic resources management of Virupakshi could be taken up in future in the identified places under changing climatic conditions