Red Banana
A high-value niche variety with red-skinned fruit, fetching a premium where it grows well. Not yet individually researched for a detail page.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Banana
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 16–18 months
- Expected yield
- Medium
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- A traditional AAA-genome dessert cultivar known regionally as Chenkadali, Chandrabale, Lalkela and Sevvazhai — not an ICAR-bred release; propagated from suckers or tissue culture, not true seed
About this variety
Red Banana is an AAA-genome dessert cultivar known regionally as Chandrabale, Lalkela, Chenkadali and Sevvazhai, per a directly-fetched global-agriculture.com variety profile, and grown mainly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala with further cultivation in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and pockets of western and central India. A directly-fetched TNAU banana variety page places core production in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts and Kerala, records an 18-month crop duration, a 20–25 kg bunch with over 100 fruits under good management, and a tall, robust plant with a distinctively deep-red pseudostem and petiole. Both directly-fetched sources agree the fruit has a thick, leathery, orange-to-red peel and a sweet, mealy, orange-yellow, carotenoid-rich pulp with a distinct aroma — attributes that make it, per global-agriculture.com, the most expensive banana variety by weight in Indian markets, valued for direct eating as well as juice, jam and sweets. On disease, the two directly-fetched sources genuinely disagree with each other: TNAU calls it 'highly susceptible to bunchy top, fusarium wilt and nematodes' in one section but 'fairly tolerant to wilt disease' in another. A directly-fetched peer-reviewed geographical study of Fusarium wilt across India supports the tolerant reading specifically for Foc race 1: it found no Fusarium-wilt symptoms due to Foc race 1 in Red Banana surveyed across Tamil Nadu and Kerala — though this is evidence about race 1 only, not about TR4 or other diseases such as bunchy top virus and nematodes, where TNAU's 'highly susceptible' description still applies.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
16–18 months
Expected yield
Medium
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Moderate
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Commands the highest per-kg price of any commercially grown Indian banana variety, per a directly-fetched trade profile, on the strength of its carotenoid-rich pulp and distinct flavour/aroma
- Genuinely tolerant to Fusarium wilt race 1 in field surveys across Tamil Nadu and Kerala — a real advantage over Fusarium-susceptible dessert types like Poovan and Rasthali, at least against that specific race
- Valued for a wide range of uses beyond fresh eating (juice, jam, sweets) and for reputed medicinal/nutritional value
Things to consider
- This record's existing diseaseResistance field says 'Moderate.' The picture is genuinely mixed: a directly-fetched peer-reviewed geographical study found zero Fusarium-wilt (Foc race 1) infection in Red Banana surveyed across Tamil Nadu and Kerala — real tolerance to that specific race — but a directly-fetched TNAU page separately calls the same variety 'highly susceptible to bunchy top, fusarium wilt and nematodes' in its disease-notes section, before adding elsewhere that it is 'fairly tolerant to wilt disease.' Read together: likely genuinely tolerant to Foc race 1 specifically, but still at real risk from bunchy top virus, nematodes and possibly other Foc strains (TR4 wasn't specifically tested in the surveyed regions) — 'Moderate' is a defensible summary of that mixed picture, not a contradiction, but the nuance is worth stating rather than assuming blanket resistance or blanket susceptibility.
- Corrected 2026-08-15: duration previously read 14–16 months, shorter than both sources checked, which independently give 16–18 months (global-agriculture.com) and 18 months (TNAU). The field now reads 16–18 months.
- This record's existing states field lists Tamil Nadu only; both sources checked report real cultivation in Kerala as well, and global-agriculture.com further adds Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and parts of western/central India.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
Frequently asked questions
Is Red Banana resistant to Fusarium wilt?
Partly. A peer-reviewed geographical survey found no Foc race-1 wilt symptoms in Red Banana across surveyed sites in Tamil Nadu and Kerala — genuine tolerance to that specific race — but a separate TNAU source calls the same variety highly susceptible to bunchy top virus and nematodes, and doesn't rule out other Foc strains such as TR4. Treat it as tolerant to race-1 wilt specifically, not disease-proof.
Why is Red Banana more expensive than other bananas?
It commands the highest per-kg price of any commercially grown Indian banana variety, attributed to its carotenoid-rich orange-yellow pulp, distinct aroma and reputed medicinal value, on top of the extra crop-cycle time it takes to grow (16–18 months versus 12–14 for a standard Cavendish type).
What other names is Red Banana known by?
Chandrabale, Lalkela, Chenkadali and Sevvazhai are all regional names for the same AAA-genome cultivar covered in this record.
How long does Red Banana take to mature?
About 16–18 months — two independently-checked sources give 16–18 months and 18 months respectively, matching this record's duration field.
What can Red Banana fruit be used for besides fresh eating?
It's specifically noted as well suited to juice, jam and sweet-making, in addition to being eaten fresh — a versatility that adds to its premium market value.
Sourced from: Banana Variety Red Banana (AAA) — Global Agriculture, Season & Varieties — Banana Expert System, TNAU Agritech Portal, Geographical Distribution, Host Range and Genetic Diversity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Causing Fusarium Wilt of Banana in India — PMC. editorial policy.