To Örebro University

In Brazil, black leaf streak disease, also known as black Sigatoka, is devastating to traditional banana cultivars. Government research institutes are developing new resistant varieties, but if the sensory properties are not taken into account, the breeding program may not succeed. The objective of this work was to compare, by principal component analysis (PCA), the volatile profile (GC-MS) of the most popular banana cultivars in Brazil (Prata and Pacovan), susceptible to black Sigatoka, with nine resistant hybrids. Results showed that Galil 18 and Pacovan Ken were similar to traditional cultivars. Japira presented the richest volatile profile. These cultivars have great potential to replace fruits that are susceptible to banana diseases.