Morphology and molecular identification of local Cultivars of pisang raja (Musa spp.) from Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java, Indonesia

Pisang Raja is well-known banana cultivars in Indonesia. Particularly in Java, there are not less than 40 local cultivars of Pisang Raja were recorded which needs to be clearly classified and identified. Genomic group identifications were conducted both morphology and molecular to thirteen local cultivars of Pisang Raja originated from Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java collection of Purwodadi Botanic Garden – Indonesian Institute of Sciences. Morphological identification was using taxonomic scoring of fifteen dianogstic characters between M. acuminata and M. balbisiana wild species as their ancestral parents, whereas molecular identification was using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism/PCR-RFLP of Internal Transcribed Spacer/ITS method. Result showed that genomic group of 13 Pisang Raja local cultivars based on morphology consists of 8 AAB, 3 ABB, and 2 AAA; whereas molecular result consists of 4 AAB, 3 ABB, and 6 AAA. About 4 out of 8 banana cultivars which identified as AAB morphologically were revealed as AAA molecularly. Molecular approach using PCR-RFLP of ITS to identify genomic group of Pisang Raja local cultivars provide more objective, consistent and reliable result, also less time-consuming than morphology. Nonetheles morphological description of bananas is still necessary to conduct as part of a longer-term systematic evaluation and selection basis for further utilization and development. Genomic group result of Pisang Raja local cultivars examined are as follows: Raja Bandung (ABB), Raja Siem (ABB), Raja Prentel (ABB), Raja Gintung (AAB), Raja Temen (AAB), Raja Lingi (AAB), Raja Marto (AAB), Raja Kenanga (AAA), Raja Ketan (AAA), Raja Nangka (AAA), Raja Pendek (AAA), Raja Talun (AAA) and Raja Warangan (AAA).