GENETIC-IMPROVEMENT OF BANANA TREE

The objective of this work was to discuss results related to pollinati on, embryo culture and field evaluations of banana diploid (AA) and te traploid (AAAB, Prata and Maca types) hybrids. The best diploids of th e Banana Active Germplasm Bank (BAGB), of the Empresa Brasileira de Pe squisa Agropecuaria (Embrapa) - Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Mandioc a e Fruticultura (CNPMF) were intercrossed and 16 of them were selecte d based on yield and diseases resistance. Those selected hybrids, in a ddition to SH 3263 introduced from Federacion Hondurena de Investigaci on Agricola, constitute a pollination field. Intercrossing those 17 di ploid, as well as crossing them with commercial varieties, generated n ew diploids and tetraploids Prata and Maca types. Embryo culture has b een performed in order to increase seed germination of tetraploids. It is concluded that: breeding banana diploid hybrids for yield and resi stance to diseases is a promising technique; obtaining tetraploid seed s depends on the diploid and the triploid used; embryo culture has not shown high efficiency on embryo recovery; and the improvement techniq ue applied to the banana Prata type can be also used for improvement o f banana Maca type. The banana improvement program for generation of t etraploid Prata type produced eleven hybrids showing good yield and re sistance to yellow Sigatoka, which are ready for commercial evaluation .