Banana fruit, ripe and unripe, are consumed in a variety of ways. In addition to the fruit, there are many uses for banana plant parts including: leaves are used for baking, to wrap sago or other food if traveling, to sit or sleep on, to cover the oven (mumu), to make skirts, for roofing in small rest or camping huts, are dried and used to wrap banana bunches as protection from birds, are dried and used to roll tobacco when newspaper is not available; stems are used to keep soil around new plantings of coconut or betelnut wet, as flotation devices when swimming in the water, heated and placed on the head to remove lice, dried and used to make a loop for climbing coconut palms, as food for pigs, and the stem of some varieties is eaten with ants; the fruit sap is used as an adhesive; and the male bud can be boiled and eaten (T. Warama, W. Geser, and R. Warama, p.c.). Banana plants can be found behind houses in the village or in the yam garden (Rose Unknown, p.c.).
Banana suckers are planted any time of year but grow best if planted in the wet season or near a swamp regardless of season (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Banana suckers are collected by digging one up with a spade and separating it from the parent plant. If the suckers have to be carried far, the leaves are largely removed, but if the sucker is planted nearby, the leaves are not cut off (T. Warama, p.c.). A digging stick, hoe, or spade is used to make a hole for the sucker; the hole can be filled in with soil, dried leaves, compost, grass, and ash (T. Warama; R. Unknown, p.c.). In the yam garden, the base of a fallen tree is an ideal place for planting. Suckers may be transplanted if they are not establishing well and can wilt and die if planted in the wrong type of soil (T. Warama, p.c.). Women are most frequently responsible for planting bananas, but men do as well (R. Unknown, p.c.).
As the banana plant grows, the base is kept clear except for soil, grass, and compost. In the yam garden, plant matter from weeding and raking the yam, taro, and sweet potato plantings will be placed around banana plants (T. Warama, p.c.). Bunches of fruit may be wrapped with bags, old mosquito nets, used clothes, or leaves to prevent birds from eating the fruit, as well as keeping deer away with items that smell like people (T. Warama; W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). |
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There are five stages of banana fruit maturation: 1) up bänbän when fruit are very young and developing; 2) up popo when fruit are small and young the male bud is emerging; 3) up kire, an unripe banana; 4) up ngalmongalmo when bananas are soft and about to fully ripen; and 5) up o, a ripe banana (Motu, Joshua Ben Danipa, and K. Dobola, p.c.).
Maturity time varies between varieties taking about six months to a year from planting to fruiting. In yam gardens, banana are planted at the same time as yams and harvested during the same time. Banana bunches are cut with knives or machetes when the fruit has been assessed as ripe by the color of the peel (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Sometimes bananas are harvested when still green and kept in the house until the peel turns yellow and softens (Rose Donae’s relative, p.c.). Bananas are harvested by women and men (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Bananas are consumed shortly after harvesting. The families will often give the first bananas harvested from their plants to the village elderly or pastors before harvesting for themselves (T. Warama, p.c.).
Maturity time varies between varieties taking about six months to a year from planting to fruiting. In yam gardens, banana are planted at the same time as yams and harvested during the same time. Banana bunches are cut with knives or machetes when the fruit has been assessed as ripe by the color of the peel (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Sometimes bananas are harvested when still green and kept in the house until the peel turns yellow and softens (Rose Donae’s relative, p.c.). Bananas are harvested by women and men (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Bananas are consumed shortly after harvesting. The families will often give the first bananas harvested from their plants to the village elderly or pastors before harvesting for themselves (T. Warama, p.c.).
Harvested bananas can be stored for a short time in the yamhouse, kept in the kitchen, or hung in the house or from a tall tree. If the village is preparing for a big feast and the bananas are not ripe, bananas may be buried to speed ripening. In this case, a hole is dug, the ground is covered with bark and leaves, the bananas are placed on top, and covered with more bark and leaves before being covered with soil. If the bananas were harvested very underripe, they are left underground for a week, but if they are close to being ripe, they are left for about three days; the amount of time is guessed by people depending on the fruit peel color (T. Warama, p.c.).
Issues with banana cultivation include birds (especially parrots), flying foxes, pigs, and deer eating the fruit, leaves and/or suckers. Some insects cause damage, leaving black marks in fruit (Tony, p.c.). Plants can be crushed by fallen, dead branches from surrounding trees. Insects sometimes eat the fruit and hard tissue will form inside the banana (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Banana plants may grow irregularly or die during the dry season or if the soil quality is not good, the plants will wilt and die (Rose Unknown; T. Warama, p.c.).
Issues with banana cultivation include birds (especially parrots), flying foxes, pigs, and deer eating the fruit, leaves and/or suckers. Some insects cause damage, leaving black marks in fruit (Tony, p.c.). Plants can be crushed by fallen, dead branches from surrounding trees. Insects sometimes eat the fruit and hard tissue will form inside the banana (W. Geser and R. Warama, p.c.). Banana plants may grow irregularly or die during the dry season or if the soil quality is not good, the plants will wilt and die (Rose Unknown; T. Warama, p.c.).