The influence of the mother plant on sucker growth, development and photosynthesis in banana (Musa AAA; Dwarf Cavendish)

Banana tissue culture plants (cv. Dwarf Cavendish) were established at Burgersball Research Station, South Africa, to demonstrate the influence of the mother plant on sucker growth, development and photosynthesis. Removing the leaf canopy and newly-emerged bunch from the mother plant, at sucker selection stage, doubled total dry mass and leaf area of the ratoon sucker six months later, compared with suckers attached to normal, unpruned mother plants. In contrast, severing the vascular connection between a newly-selected sucker and its mother plant reduced sucker dry mass after six months to only one-fifth of that achieved by normal attached suckers, irrespective of whether the mother plant canopy and bunch were retained or not. This reduction in sucker growth after severing was associated with lower photosynthesis and transpiration in the severed suckers, compared with levels in attached suckers. The heavy dependence of the sucker on the mother plant is thus clearly evident. However, removal from the mother plant of a newly-emerged bunch, which normally accounts for more than 30% of total plant dry matter at harvest, is warranted for increasing sucker production in banana nurseries. In plantations, partial removal of the mother plant canopy after flowering is a possible option for accelerating ratoon sucker growth.