Poovan
Raised from suckers, not true seed. A traditional AAB dessert banana, smaller bunch than Grand Naine — but not Foc-wilt safe: infection found in surveys.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Banana
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 11–14 months (TNAU)
- Expected yield
- 400–500 q/ha a year (TNAU)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Susceptible to Fusarium wilt — 45–50% field incidence reported in West Bengal
- Release
- A traditional South Indian dessert-banana cultivar (Mysore/AAB subgroup), not an ICAR/university-bred release — propagated from suckers
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Poovan is an AAB-genome dessert banana from the Mysore subgroup, grown commercially across Tamil Nadu (the leading producer), Kerala and Karnataka under a range of regional names — Palayankodan in Kerala, Karpura Chakkarakeli in Andhra Pradesh, Alpan in the North-East. Its fruit is slightly acidic and firm with a distinctive sour-sweet aroma, turning golden yellow on ripening; bunches are medium-sized and closely packed, and the fruit resists cracking and keeps well after harvest, and the trade pays for both. Against Fusarium wilt (Panama disease), a peer-reviewed geographical-distribution study of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense across India found Poovan infected by both the older race 1 and the newer TR4 strain, with incidence as high as 45–50% in some surveyed regions such as West Bengal — that is closer to susceptible than tolerant. It is also reported highly susceptible to Banana Bract Mosaic Virus and Banana Streak Virus, two separate viral risks.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Poovan if you sell fresh fruit in Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Karnataka and your land has no Fusarium wilt history. Its firm, slightly acidic fruit with a sour-sweet aroma has a loyal market. It resists fruit cracking and keeps well after harvest. It is grown under many local names — Palayankodan in Kerala, Karpura Chakkarakeli in Andhra Pradesh, Alpan in the North-East — so planting material is easy to find. Be clear about the risk: a national Fusarium survey found Poovan infected by both race 1 and TR4, with up to 45–50% incidence in West Bengal, and it is also highly susceptible to bract mosaic and streak viruses. On wilt-sick land choose Nendran or Red Banana.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFebruary–April on wet land; January–February or November–December on garden land (TNAU)
- Spacing2.1 x 2.1 m, about 2,260 plants per hectare — the widest of the common table varieties, because the plant is tall and stays in the field a long time (TNAU)
- Sowing methodPlant graded sword suckers of 1.5–2.0 kg with the corm pared and the pseudostem cut 20 cm above it, treated against nematodes
- IrrigationIrrigate at planting, give the life irrigation on day four, then weekly on garden land and every 10–15 days on wet land
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Distinctive sour-sweet aroma and firm texture give it a loyal fresh-fruit market, especially in Tamil Nadu where it is the leading commercial cultivar
- Good keeping quality and resistance to fruit cracking are real post-harvest advantages over some other dessert bananas
- Grown in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka as local ecotypes, so planting material already suited to your area is easy to find
Things to consider
- A geographical-distribution study of Fusarium wilt in India found Poovan infected by both Foc race 1 and the newer TR4 strain, with incidence up to 45–50% in West Bengal. Separate reporting notes that a related Foc-susceptible relative of Poovan (Ney Poovan) has pushed farmers in wilt-hit areas to a resistant ecotype called Safed Velchi. Read the 45–50% as disease seen in surveyed fields, not as a lab resistance grade, and only for the tracts that were surveyed.
- Also worth not confusing with Ney Poovan, a genome-distinct cousin (AB, not this AAB Poovan) that shows up in some of the same wilt-resistance research; the two share part of a name but are different genotypes
- Also highly susceptible to Banana Bract Mosaic Virus and Banana Streak Virus, two further disease risks beyond wilt.
- Reported crop duration varies by source: TNAU gives 11–14 months and another account 14–15 months, wider than usual for a single variety, so treat it as an approximate range rather than a firm figure
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
Fruit that keeps: using the one advantage you have
Poovan's fruit resists cracking and keeps well after harvest, and the trade pays for both. Those two traits are what let a grower send fruit to a market a day or two away, or hold a lot for a better rate, in a way the softer dessert bananas cannot.
Use it deliberately. Harvest the bunch at the maturity your buyer wants rather than fully filled, handle it with the hands on and a padded surface so fingers are not bruised, and keep it out of the sun. Keep the ripening under control — ripen in a closed room in batches so the whole lot is not ready on the same day. Against Fusarium wilt the field work matters more: this variety is infected by both Foc race 1 and TR4 in surveys, so plant clean material, do not move soil or suckers out of a wilt-hit plot, and keep drainage open.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is raised from suckers taken off the mother plant, so you can multiply it yourself. Pick sturdy suckers of even size from healthy, well-yielding clumps, and never from one that looked diseased or stunted — the new plant inherits whatever the mother had. For a clean start, take planting material from a registered nursery or a government farm.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Banana variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf Cavendish (Basrai) | Windy fields and a nearby market, on the most familiar banana of all | 12–14 months | High | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| Grand Naine (G9) | Uniform export and retail-grade bunches, away from TR4 districts | 11–12 months, planting to harvest | 483–503 q/ha in Bihar KVK demonstrations (420–431 on local practice) | Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh |
| Nendran | Kerala's chips and cooking trade, and wilt-sick soil | 9–12 months, planting to harvest, by ecotype | No institute per-hectare figure found; bunches 12–15 kg | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Poovanthis page | A sour-sweet dessert banana for the Tamil Nadu fresh market, on clean land | 11–14 months (TNAU) | 400–500 q/ha a year (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu, Kerala |
| Rasthali | A premium Silk-type dessert banana, for a farmer who can watch the crop closely | 12–15 months | Medium | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar |
| Red Banana | The highest-priced banana, for a grower who can wait 16–18 months | 16–18 months | Medium | Tamil Nadu |
| Robusta | Heavy Cavendish bunches for the south Indian fresh market | 12–13 months | High | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Banana is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Banana plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Banana variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Banana into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Banana rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Banana seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Poovan resistant to Panama wilt?
No. A geographical-distribution study of Fusarium wilt in India found Poovan infected by both the older race 1 and the newer TR4 strain, with incidence up to 45–50% in West Bengal — that's field disease incidence from a survey, not a lab resistance score, so treat it as evidence of susceptibility rather than a precise severity rating.
Is Poovan the same as Ney Poovan?
No — they share part of a name but are genome-distinct. Poovan itself is an AAB triploid; Ney Poovan is an AB-genome relative with its own Foc-tolerant ecotype, Safed Velchi, sometimes recommended as a substitute where Poovan itself has failed to wilt.
How serious is the wilt risk in Poovan?
Serious enough to decide your field choice. A geographical survey across India found it infected by both the older race 1 and the newer TR4, reaching 45–50% of plants in parts of West Bengal. Those are field incidence figures from surveyed sites, not a lab score, so read them as proof the variety does get hit where the pathogen is present.
What does Poovan's good keeping quality do for me?
It travels and waits better than softer dessert bananas and resists fruit cracking, so fewer fruits are rejected at the market and you can hold a lot for a day or two if the price is poor. That is a real edge over Dwarf Cavendish and Robusta, both described as keeping poorly.
How long does Poovan take, and what does it yield?
TNAU gives 11–14 months for the crop and 40–50 t/ha a year (400–500 q/ha), level with Rasthali and below Robusta and Dwarf Cavendish at 50–60 t/ha. With Fusarium wilt incidence reported at 45–50% in West Bengal fields, the land you plant it on matters more than the yield figure does.
Poovan or Rasthali for a higher-priced fruit?
Rasthali fetches more, but it costs more to grow and needs a bunch cover, and it stands 12–15 months against Poovan's 11–14. Both carry wilt risk. If your land has a wilt history, neither is a safe bet without changing the field first.
Sourced from: Banana Variety Poovan (Mysore AAB) — Global Agriculture, Geographical Distribution, Host Range and Genetic Diversity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Causing Fusarium Wilt of Banana in India — PMC, Banana production guide, TNAU Agritech Portal: planting distance and plant population by variety, season of planting, yield by variety, sucker selection and irrigation, Season & Varieties — Banana Expert System, TNAU Agritech Portal: crop duration, bunch size and virus susceptibility. editorial policy.