How are bananas conventionally cross-bred? and Leucospermum reflexum var. luteum #4

How are bananas conventionally cross-bred?

Let's say we have one type of hybrid banana. We hear reports of a disease that struck this type of banana on another continent so we want to create a new hybrid banana that is resistant to this new disease before it hits this continent. The country we're in though doesn't allow genetically modified crops to be planted for commercial or local sustainable use, only within a controlled environment for research.

We have to create one manually. How are new hybrids created conventionally?

The base of the inflorescence is considered the female part. Does it have anything to do with this?

Also, how are seeds used to create new banana herbs (trees)?
Verselia, thanks.

Verselia or anyone else: How exactly are the genes transferred?

Do banana trees create pollen? Are they produced from the male flower? Is this pollen scraped and transferred manually into female flowers?


inflorescence best answer:

Answer by Verselia
Certain diploid banana varieties are available which are wild in nature. These can be used as female parents to transfer the genes of selected variety.
The resulting hybrids will have different plod depending on the selected variety.
Then by sowing these seeds can get plants, which are to be studied genetically and selection has to be made for desirable characters without detrimental characters as presence of seeds, taste, flavor and so. Once the selection is over the suckers can be multiplied by tissue culture techniques.
this is a long process which takes many years. Lot of patience and consistency and scientific back ground is needed.
All the best.
Which place are you from?

inflorescence

Leucospermum reflexum var. luteum #4


Best viewed @ large size

Proteaceae - Western Cape Province, South Africa
Rocket Pincushion, Yellow Rocket Pincushion

Shown: Detail of maturing inflorescence
"Leucospermum reflexum is a rounded, silvery grey-leaved shrub up to 4 m tall with either yellow (var. lutea) or deep orange to crimson (var. reflexum) flower heads which flower from spring to midsummer in the southern hemisphere (August to December). The more or less elliptic, simple leaves are covered with dense grey hairs. They are about 20-55 x 5-13 mm, with 2-3 glandular teeth at the tip. The rounded flower heads occur at the ends of the branches and are between 80-100 mm across.

"Each flower is tube-like and made up of velvety floral parts called the perianth segments on which the anthers are placed. These surround the long style which escapes from the tube to form the 'pin' and the perianths then curl away from it. Young flowers are curved to start with, and then bend back toward the stem as they mature. The common name of rocket pincushion is very apt because these downward bent styles look like the fiery tail of a rocket trailing behind it. For the same reason, the Afrikaans name perdekop is a good one as the mature flower head looks like a horse's head with its mane blowing back in the wind." (www.plantzafrica.com)

Additional views:
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Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley - Berkeley, California

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