COMPARATIVE STUDY ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SOME BANANA CULTIVARS UNDER THE EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS.

This study was carried out to improve Banana crop growth and productivity by planting cultivars that may be tolerant to banana diseases with high productivity and quality. Three imported cultivars (Zeef, Grand Nine, and Canary) were planted in private orchard in El Salhya District, Sharkia Govemorate, Egypt in two consecutive seasons of2016 and 2017. The results of this work indicated that Zeef and Grand Nine were significantly higher in growth parameters such as plants length and number of functional leaves than Canary. Similar results were noticed in productivity parameters where Zeef plants and Grand Nine were significantly higher than Canary such as total yield, bunch weight, bunch length, finger length and diameter, while no clear differences were found in quality components. Also the second season 2017 (the first sucker) was higher than the first one (Mother) in the three cultivars in all parameters. Also Zeef plants and Grand Nine recorded the highest value for each of antioxidants enzymes, soluble sugars and proline, this reflects that defense system in both cultivars was stronger than Canary cultivar, so they were more tolerant to diseases than Canary plants. Therefore the general evaluation showed that Zeef and Grand Nine banana cultivars are considered promising cultivars for the Egyptian conditions with high productivity and quality and tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]