Screening for male fertility status in selected banana genotypes

In the present study, twenty-five banana cultivars (eight diploids and seventeen triploids) were screened for their male fertility status with reference to the pollen output per anther, pollen size and pollen viability. The results showed that the pollen output and pollen viability are higher in monospecific diploids than the cultivars having the genome of both Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. Pollen size were higher in triploids than the diploids. The cultivars such as ‘Rose’, ‘Hatidat’, ‘Athiakol’, ‘Bhimkol’ and ‘Popoulu’ were reported to be polleniferous similar to proven male fertile parents such as ‘Pisang Lilin’ or ‘Anaikomban’. The complexities arising out of ploidy status and genomic differences not only impact pollen viability but also pollen production.