Gamma Rays and CarbonIon-Beams Irradiation for Mutation ...

2. 1. 1. 4. FHIA-01
‘FHIA-01’(Musa acuminata AAAB) is a tetrapliod hybrid, and
very resistant to black Sigatoka. Bunch weight ranges between 39-56 kg,
with a number of functional leaves at harvest stage ranging from 9 to 11.
Plant height is around 4 m, with finger number ranging from 170 to 229.
The fruits, however, possess a much different taste than the ‘Cavendish’
type (Reyes-Borja, 1995). ‘FHIA-01’ resists the diseases that are
devastating plantations throughout the tropics. It also grows well in poor
soils and at cooler temperatures, offering a promising banana in terms of
extending into semi-tropical or upland areas where heat- and humidity-
loving varieties cannot grow at present. After decades of painstaking
breeding work, ‘FHIA-01’ or otherwise known as ‘Goldfinger’, is the first
banana variety ever bred that could replace the standard ‘Cavendish’
banana. It may well save the world's banana export industry from collapse
as diseases take an insurmountable toll. More important yet, it could ensure
reliable food supplies for the millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin
America for whom bananas and plantains are staple foods. During breeding
this cultivar, the first big breakthrough came in 1977 with the development
of a hybrid that was resistant to burrowing nematodes, a widespread pest
controlled by potent, expensive pesticides and race 4 of Panama disease,
with a good bunch size. Crossed with a female Brazilian apple-flavoured
‘Dwarf Prata’ clone, it showed good resistance to black Sigatoka, thus,
‘FHIA-01’ was born (Hibler and Hardy, 1998).
FHIA-01 has been included in this experiment to compare
pathogen-related reaction for black Sigatoka among the susceptible cultivar
since that FHIA-01 is resistant to this disease and to study its sensitivity to
gamma rays and ion-beams.
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