Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Go bananas!
|
Each part of the banana tree is incredibly useful
|
PHOTO: H. VIBHU
IN ABUNDANCE Banana plantations are common throughout India
Banana is botanically called Musa Paradisiaca. The cultivated banana is one of the most important and most widely grown of all tropical fruits. It is consumed throughout the world even though it is cultivated only in the tropical countries. It's one of the oldest fruit known to mankind. In the Kuran and Arab legends, this perennial plant is described as the `Plant of Paradise' so the name `Musa Paradisiaca.' Brazil leads the world in banana production. In India it is grown in most of the states.
The common banana plant belonging to the family Musaceae is a giant perennial herb with an underground rhizome attaining a height of three to five metres. The trunk (pseudo stem) is formed from the lightly rolled spiral leaf bases. The leaves are smooth, glossy, light green in colour, each measuring about three metres. They are often torn into strips by wind. After producing a number of leaves, the fruiting shoot begins to elongate and pushes out through the centre. The lower basal nodes produce female flowers and the upper, male flowers. Each cluster of fruit is long and curved. The skin is green when raw but turns yellow at maturing.
Banana can be grown in practically rich alluvial soil. They are easily propagated by planting out suckers or off shoots. The sucker must have a piece of rhizome with roots attached.
Ripe bananas are sugary, palatable and digestible. It is a fairly well balanced source of nutrition containing various mineral salts, vitamins and high percentage of carbohydrate with little oil and protein. They also contain some iron, phosphorous, potassium and calcium. Bananas are eaten raw as a dessert fruit. Many products are made from the pulp such as jams, halwa and wine. Raw bananas are made into curry and chips. The inner pseudo stem can also be made into curry.
The juice of the stem is said to be a great cure for kidney problems.
Banana tree is one of the most useful trees with every part of the tree being useful to mankind.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
