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In a field of mature bananas, plants can be seen at all stages of
vegetative growth and fruit maturity, providing a fascination for
anyone who has an interest in growing crops. Banana farmers in the
tropics can harvest fruit every day of the year. The absence of
seasonality in production is an advantage, in that it provides a
continuity of carbohydrate to meet dietary needs as well as a
regular source of income, a feature that perhaps has been
under-estimated by rural planners and agricultural strategists. The
burgeoning interest in bananas in the last 20 years results from
the belated realization that Musa is an under-exploited genus,
notwithstanding the fact that one genetically narrow group, the
Cavendish cultivars, supply a major export commodity second only to
citrus in terms of the world fruit trade. International research
interest in the diversity of fruit types has been slow to develop,
presumably because bananas and plantains have hitherto been
regarded as a reliable backyard source of dessert fruit or starch
supplying the needs of the household, and in this situation
relatively untroubled by pests, diseases or agronomic problems.
In a field of mature bananas, plants can be seen at all stages of
vegetative growth and fruit maturity, providing a fascination for
anyone who has an interest in growing crops. Banana farmers in the
tropics can harvest fruit every day of the year. The absence of
seasonality in production is an advantage, in that it provides a
continuity of carbohydrate to meet dietary needs as well as a
regular source of income, a feature that perhaps has been
under-estimated by rural planners and agricultural strategists. The
burgeoning interest in bananas in the last 20 years results from
the belated realization that Musa is an under-exploited genus,
notwithstanding the fact that one genetically narrow group, the
Cavendish cultivars, supply a major export commodity second only to
citrus in terms of the world fruit trade. International research
interest in the diversity of fruit types has been slow to develop,
presumably because bananas and plantains have hitherto been
regarded as a reliable backyard source of dessert fruit or starch
supplying the needs of the household, and in this situation
relatively untroubled by pests, diseases or agronomic problems.
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book
may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages,
poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the
original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We
believe this work is culturally important, and despite the
imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of
our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works
worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in
the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
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