A dwarf somaclonal variant of banana was evaluated under two planting densities. It was compared with the cultivar "Nanicão Jangada", the original clone from which the variant derived. The genotypes 'Nanicão Jangada'(control) and the somaclone, represented by selections 224 and 225 from a previous experiment, were evaluated at spaced 2.0 m X 2.0 m (density of 2500 plants ha-1) and 3.0 m X 2.0 m (1666 plants ha-1) at the "Fazenda de Ensino e Pesquisa da Faculdade de Engenharia - UNESP", Campus de Ilha Solteira, SP. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete blocks with 5 replications, using micropropagated plants under irrigation from December 1998 to March 2001, with evaluation of the first two production cycles. Planting density and production cycle significantly affected estimated fruit yield, with the average in the densest cultivation being 81.25 t.ha-1 in the 1st cycle and 67.93 t.ha-1 in the second. In the lowest planting density cultivation, yield was estimated to be 51.35 t.ha-1 in the 1st cycle and 44.08 t.ha-1 in the 2nd. The dwarf somaclone selections were shorter and produced earlier with yield similar to cv. "Nanicão Jangada" in the first cycle. In the second cycle, there was a decrease in yield, especially for the somaclone variant selection.
planting density; spacing dwarfism; production cycle; yield; plant breeding; clone; varieties
