Musa ‘Gros Michel’

Dessert Banana, Fruit Banana

Formerly one comercial cultivar which was commonly found in the groceries and fruit departments of supermarkets, today replaced by Musa 'Grand Nain' because of the suspectiblity against fungus diseases. Although with superb taste it does not offered anymore unlike formerly. It was for 70 years the standard cultivar for the banana industry. The fruits are very large and of remarkable quality. Furthermore, because of the symmetry of the bunches and upward curve of the individual fingers the entire stalk could be transported directly to distant markets.

At least because of the symmetrie of the bunches and upwardly curves of the particular fingers in the whole bunch it could be transported to distanter markets. Because of its susceptibility to Panama disease, Gros Michel's dominance of the banana industry has been eclipsed by the Cavendish cultivars. Panama Disease Musa 'Gros Michel' lost its dominance in the banana industry to the Cavendish cultivars. The plant is of the slender growth and is suspectible against coldness. Currently it is not known whether it is grown successfully in California. However in Florida it does not produce well because of the bad cold tolerance and suspectiblity of Panama Disease. It is not recommended for house gardens and commercial plantations. The in the western hemisphere mostly grown  cultivar is more rarely grown because of the suspectiblity of Panama Disease. It has producted several clones and is also used as a mother plant for newer cultivars. Also clones of the group AAA type  'Gros Michel' are also suspectible. But there is one less suspectiblity of BBTV shown. Now the Cavendish cultivars are also endangered, therefore are new cultivars bred by Embrapa in Brazil (we also have some of the new cultivars) and FHIA in Honduras, which are disease resistant, there are also disease resistant cultivars which are very similar to the old cultivar and might replace it. Whether our plants are of the old cultivar or of the very similar newly bred cultivars, it will still show in the future.