The ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) in Tamil Nadu is developing two new high-yielding and climate-resilient banana clones that are expected to be launched by late 2025 or early 2026.
NRCB Director R Selvarajan said the institute has safeguarded 520 banana varieties collected across India, forming one of the largest banana gene banks. "We are protecting 520 varieties and helping farmers cultivate more in their regions, including the north-eastern states," he said.
Over the past 32 years, NRCB has developed eight varieties, including Udhayam (a Pisang Awak type), Kaveri Vaaman, Kaveri Kanchan, and Kaveri Suganthan. "Our Kaveri Kanchan is a dessert-type nendran banana that can be eaten raw, a perfect alternative to Kerala's famous nendran," Selvarajan noted.
Two new selections are in field trials. "Selection 16, similar to robusta but with carrot-coloured pulp, stays fresh for 10 days and gives a high yield. We've distributed it to 250 farmers across Tamil Nadu," he explained. "Selection 19 has been given to 150 farmers. After three years of trials and farmer feedback, both will be launched by the end of 2025 or early 2026."
Beyond breeding, NRCB has transferred technology to 250 entrepreneurs across India. "Many have become successful entrepreneurs with turnovers from Rs 10 lakh (US$12,000) to Rs 10 crore (US$1.2 million). At the Agri Business Festival 2025, we showcased 45 value-added products like banana powder, low-fat chips, stem juice, and banana sugar," said Selvarajan.
NRCB has also patented a cell suspension technology that enables large-scale propagation. "From 1 ml of cell suspension, we can raise nearly four lakh plants. One cell gives one tissue, one tissue, one plant. We're the first in the world to develop and patent this. Three entrepreneurs already use it, and we raise one lakh plants annually through this method," Selvarajan stated.
The institute certifies over 150 tissue culture centres in India and distributes free tissue-cultured saplings to tribal communities in Tamil Nadu and farmers in the northeast. Traditional varieties such as Matti, Virupakshi, and Sirumalai are conserved, while Popoulou has been introduced for banana chips. NRCB has also developed a machine to extract juice from banana stems, which is used similarly to sugarcane juice.
"More than 20 lakh people have visited our website seeking training. Every year, we train 10,000 people, including those from Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala," Selvarajan added.
Source: DT Next