Studies on the Production of the Montecristo Banana Grown on the Adjuntas Region of Puerto Rico

Abstract

Montecristo bananas were planted monthly under sunlight at the Adjuntas Substation in the Mountainous region of Puerto Rico. The time of planting was found to affect the flowering span, which ranged from a minimum of 107 days to a maximum of 200 days. The plots with the longest flowering span started to bloom during the month of February coinciding with a period of low minimum temperatures and scant rainfall. The flowering characteristics of the plots did not follow any definite pattern, some plots showing a skewed-type distribution with the highest percentages of the plants flowering near the beginning or the end of the flowering period. The flowering pattern of the 12 plots combined exhibits two definite periods of low and high percentage of plants flowering, with the highest percentage of plants flowering during the months of June to November. The development of the bunch was related to the time at which shooting occurred. The time required for the bunches to reach a definite stage of development decreased from the flowering of November to the flowering of July, to increase again from August to November. The time of flowering had very little effect on yields, the weight of the bunches harvested ranging from 48.0 to 58.0 pounds. The weight of the fingers varied with the time of flowering. The weight of the fingers increased from the flowering of November to the flowering of April, decreasing again to reach a minimum by November. The number of fruits per bunch also varied with the time of flowering, decreasing from November to June to increase again from June to November. Ripening characteristics were poor, particularly during the winter months, when the bananas ripened to a dull yellow color lacking brilliance. From the standpoint of flavor, the quality of the fruit was acceptable. Processing characteristics were good. Purees prepared from these fruits had a nice color and good flavor.