Saba Cardaba Banana (Cardaba): Fruit and Tree Characteristics
Saba Cardaba is a registered banana variety, also sold or known as Cardaba or Cardava. The Philippine Seed Board approved it in 1991. Institute of Plant Breeding bred it. Its record notes a yield of 8 to 16 hands w/ 12 to 20 fingers.
If you came here looking for Cardaba or Cardava, this is the same banana. Its seller and farm sources add notes, listed at the end. Compare it with the others in our banana variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: banana farming in the Philippines.
- Yield: a recorded yield of 8 to 16 hands w/ 12 to 20 fingers.
Key facts about Saba Cardaba banana
| Trait | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Registration | Philippine Seed Board |
| Year approved | 1991 |
| Breeder or owner | Institute of Plant Breeding |
| Also known as | Cardaba, Cardava, Cardaba banana |
| Yield noted | 8 to 16 hands w/ 12 to 20 fingers |
| Fruit weight (g) | 80 to 150 |
| Fruit length (cm) | 10 to 12 |
| Fruit width (cm) | 40 to 50 |
| Fruit shape | Ellipsoid angular |
| Skin color | Yellow when ripe |
| Skin thickness (mm) | 2.1 |
| Flesh color | Creamy white |
| Flesh texture | Firm |
When does it bear, and how much?
A registered tree variety is described from its mother tree, not from trial plots. Its record notes a yield of 8 to 16 hands w/ 12 to 20 fingers. A grafted or marcotted tree bears years sooner than one grown from seed, and its yield climbs as the tree grows.
anee.io keeps the records of each block of trees, from fertilizer to harvest, with the growth stages and weather beside them.
Is it resistant to pests and diseases?
No pest or disease ratings are published for this variety. So treat it as untested, and scout every week.
The pests and diseases that hit banana fields most often: anthracnose, Banana aphid, Banana bunchy top, Banana weevil, black sigatoka. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.
What the fruit is like
A fruit of Saba Cardaba weighs about 80 to 150 grams, and its shape is ellipsoid angular. The flesh is creamy white and firm.
What its seller and farm sources say
- Fruit: 8 to 16 hands of 12 to 20 fingers, fingers 10 to 12 cm, 80 to 150 g, yellow when ripe, firm creamy white flesh.
- Uses: Cooking, processing (chips).
- Registered in 1991 with the Philippine Seed Board.
Why farmers know it: Saba's close look alike, registered separately, the name cardaba is often used for Saba itself. Check these against what farmers near you have seen, because the same variety can do differently from one town to the next.
Where and when to plant Saba Cardaba banana
Lakatan and latundan sell fresh, saba goes to cooking and banana cue, and Cavendish goes to export. Fusarium wilt and bunchy top end many farms, so plant clean tissue cultured plantlets, and a tolerant selection where wilt is known. A registered tree variety is a selection from one proven mother tree, and only grafted, budded or marcotted plants carry its traits. A seedling grown from its seed can turn out quite different. So buy from a nursery accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry, and ask which mother tree the scions came from. Before planting, get the field ready with our guide: Land preparation for banana.
Before you buy planting material
- Buy grafted or budded plants from an accredited nursery, with the variety name on the tag.
- Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
- Plant a few trees first if the variety is new to your area, before you fill the whole farm.
- Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.
Start freeBanana varieties like this one
These are the closest matches among the banana varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.
Is Cardaba the same as Saba Cardaba?
What is its yield?
Where can I buy planting material of Saba Cardaba?
See how Saba Cardaba will do on your farm
With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.
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