Browsing by Author "Soka, Geofrey"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Changes in leaf lamina shape and size during banana shoot development
    (Journal of Applied Biosciences, 1997) Blomme, Guy; Turyagyenda, Laban Frank; Soka, Geofrey; Swennen, Rony
    Bananas and plantains are grown as perennial crops, producing consecutive generations from suckers, which develop on the main plant. Sucker development consists of distinct physiological stages: peeper (small sucker appearing just above the ground and bearing scale leaves only), sword sucker (large sucker with lanceolate type leaves) and maiden sucker (large non-fruiting sucker with foliage leaves). Peepers, sword suckers and maiden suckers represent a distinct physiological stage in sucker growth with distinct morphological features, the most important being the leaf lamina size. The aim of this study was to assess changes in leaf lamina shape during the growth of lateral shoots and to determine how fast suckers from different genotypes develop broad leaves to manufacture their own food through photosynthesis, and thus reducing their dependency on the parent for nutrients. This can be achieved by determining how fast the sucker leaf length: width ratio halves (i.e. the RL50 value).