Saba banana (Musa acuminata ABB Group 'Saba')

Pisang kepok or saba banana (Musa acuminata ABB Group 'Saba') is a cultivar in Musaceae, arising from a completely buried tuber, stem formed as a pseudostem with heaps of leaf sheaths, succulent, erect, very large and strong, 6-9 meters high, 0.91 meter in diameter, dark blue and green in color and produces buds around it.

M. acuminata (ABB Group) 'Saba' has elongated leaves, 120 cm long, 45 cm wide, impermeable, a midrib, dark blue and greenish with a powdery coating.

Inflorescences grow horizontally or obliquely from the end of the stem. The female flowers are near the base and develop into fruit, the male flowers are on the uppermost bud and form buds between the leathery bracts. The fruits grow in a bunch.

The fruit is square and angular, 8-13 cm long and 2.5-5.5 cm in diameter. The skin is very thick, strong and flexible like rubber. The flesh is white and starchy. Seeds are very small or have no seeds.

The fruit is ready to be harvested 150-180 days after flowering, longer than other banana varieties. Each plant has a yield potential of 26-38 kg per bunch. Typically, a group has 16 hands with each hand having 12 to 20 fingers.

Saba banana grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with full sun exposure. This variety is tolerant of dry soil and cooler temperate climates. minimum rainfall and survive the long dry season. This variety also has good resistance to Sigatoka leaf spot disease.

Fruit is often boiled or fried or baked or processed into various dishes. The fruit can also be eaten raw, whole or chopped and added to desserts and fruit salads. All bananas contain natural sources of three sugars namely sucrose, fructose and glucose.

Dark red flowers are cooked as a vegetable. The waxy green leaves are used as a wrap for dishes. Fiber can also be extracted from stems and leaves to make rope, mats and sacks. Saba is also cultivated as an ornamental plant and a shade tree because of its large size and striking color.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Musaceae
Genus: Musa
Species: Musa acuminata
Cultivar: Musa acuminata (ABB Group) 'Saba'

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