Cultivation Practices of Banana
Scientific name: Musa paradisiaca
Introduction
Banana is one of the most ancient fruits being used from the beginning of the civilization. It has attained a commercial as well economic importance in many countries of tropical world. Both the fruits and plants can be utilized for diversified products.
Composition and uses
It is rich source of vitamin and minerals. Ripe fruits are consumed fresh and are also used to prepare jam, jelly, candy, juice etc. Ripe fruits are used for table purpose. Unripe fruits are boiled, dried and powered to make flour. Banana flour can be used to make ice cream and custard. Chips, sweets, flakes, vinegar, juice, beer is prepared from fruits while paper, board and tissue paper are prepared from the plant. Unripe fruit, male flower or heart is used as vegetable or used for pickle making. Its water (sap) is being used for making ink. Ropes, bags, clothes, decorative things and textile can be made from fibres of pseudo stem and dried midribs.
Origin
The origin of banana is not clearly identified. A large number of genuses of Musa have been reported in various parts of the world, but native home is believed to be South East Asia (Assam, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indo-china regions, etc.).
Distribution
Major producing countries are- Colombia, Brazil, India, Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Zaire, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Burundi, Kenya, Equator, Venezuela, etc.
In Nepal, banana is grown in the terai, inner terai, river basin and lower hills. Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Bara, Chitwan, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Kailali and Kanchanpur are major banana producing districts of Nepal.
variety:
1. Dwarf Cavendish (Basrai or jahaji)
This variety is dwarf, leading commercial variety, poor keeping quality, bunch medium to heavy (20kg), susceptible to bunchy top and leaf spot, resistant to panama wilt, leaves thick and dark green with short petiole.
2. Robusta /Harichhal
It is semi-tall and has similar character to Dwarf Cavendish (mother plant) except its better keeping quality and skin colour does not change even after ripening.
3. Poovan (China Champa).
Tall with rose pink colored trunk.
200-250 fruits weighing 15-20 kg/bunch.
Fruits medium to small, yellow skinned, sweet with pleasant flavor. Resistant to panama wilt, fairy resistant to bunchy top and leaf spot. Good keeping quality. S Office
4. Malbhog (Rasthali)
Tall, reddish margin of petiole and leaf sheath, fruits 125-150 weighing 10-12 kg, flesh firm, very sweet with pleasant aroma.
Resistant to leaf spot but severe to wilt and weevil problem.
Excellent keeping quality.
5. Other varieties
Plantain, Red banana, Gross Mitchel, William Hybrid, hill banana, Dhurse, etc.
Climate and soil
It can be cultivated in tropical and subtropical region. It can be cultivated up to an altitude of 1600 masl. The ideal temperature is 22-27°C but it can be cultivated within the temperature range of 18-30°C. It requires 2000-4000mm annual rainfall. It can be cultivated in wide range of soil but the loam and sandy loam is ideal. The soil should have high organic matter with good drainage facility. The soil pH should be 6 7.5. Alkaline soil is not suitable for banana cultivation.
Area and production (2016/17)
Area (ha): 17839; Productive Area (ha): 15223; Production (mt): 247622; Productivity (mt/ha): 16
Propagation
Some wild varieties produce seed which are used only for breeding programs. Suckers, rhizomes and micro propagation are best propagules for vegetative propagation.
Sucker
Banana sucker are most convenient propagating material. Sucker can be classified as
• Sword sucker
Well developed base with narrow shaped leaf blades at early stages, best for propagation, more vigorous and produce bigger and bigger bunches in 11 months but poor in suckering.
- Water sucker
Broad leaved which do not produce healthy banana clump. It requires more than 15 months for flowering.
• Maiden sucker
Large one but not fruiting ratoon.
- Rhizomes
These are often called peppers. They are actually corm but generally called rhizome. Rhizome weighing 2 kg can be used for propagation. Rhizome bits take longer time to fruit.
- Micro propagation
Tissue culture produces large number of virus free plants within short period of time.
Planting
The spacing varies greatly according to the variety and climate. Suckers are planted in a pit. If the suckers are tall, about 30cm then it should be cut from the upper part. The spacing is maintained about 2.5m x 3m for tall variety and 1.8m x 1.8m for dwarf variety.
Modern Orcharding
Dwarf varieties as William hybrid can be planted at spacing of 1mx1m as monocrop or mono-stem planting.
Pits
Healthy, vigorous suckers are selected for planting in a pit dug with 60cm*60cm× 60cm dimension. The pit soil is mixed with well decomposed FYM/Compost. A single sucker is planted in the center of the pit with 25-30cm deep.
Manure and fertilizer
Generally, young plant of banana requires 20 kg FYM and 200g nitrogen, 150g phosphorus, 250g potassium. Application of Fipronil is recommended in borer infested field. Full dose of phosphorus and FYM is applied during final field preparation. NK is applied in two split doses i.e. first dose is applied at final land preparation and remaining half is applied during fruiting stage. For ratoon crops, manuring has to be done every year. doses i.e. f
Irrigation
Irrigation is necessary during flowering stage. In winter irrigation is done at 15-20 days interval based on the moisture in soil. In summer irrigation is done at 7 days interval. Water logging condition is avoided from the base of the plant.
Intercropping
Shade loving and shallow rooted vegetables are considered good for intercropping for few months of banana planting. eg. ginger, turmeric, yam, colocasia, Fruits crops and other perennial crops are planted as mix crops. They are: pineapple, papaya, areca nut, coffee, etc.
Cover crop
A cover crop is a crop planted to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, weeds and/or pests. and, thereby, reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides. The practice consists in planting a species that does not negatively impact banana production and prevents the growth of weeds. These could be domesticated crops or local species. Bananas can also be planted on the mulch of a previous cover crop such as signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) or sunhemp (Crotalaria). The mulch will limit the growth of weeds and protect the young banana plants.
Pruning
Old leaves and infected leaves should be pruned regularly. This will reduce the likelihood of leaf diseases and keeps the plantation tidy. Furthermore, it provides natural mulch to the Banana plants. Removal of dried and decayed leaves and plants parts keeps plants healthy, clean ensuring less attack of pest and disease.
Intercultural operation
Weeding
In banana, weeds are serious problem at early stage of growth causing 60-70% losses.
Desuckering
Removal of unwanted suckers is desuckering. It is one of the most critical operations in banana. Several suckers are produced per clump. One flower is allowed every 5 months, 2nd flowering during the harvest of first. Use circular pattern, keep kerosene 2-5ml or urea 3-5gm at cut heart of sucker otherwise they keep on coming.
Earthing up
In rainy season, it is essential in order to provide drainage and to avoid water logging at base. This does not allow to exposure and produce sucker and even keep weed population under control.
Propping
Where wind is a problem, pseudo stem requires to be propped up with bamboos at the time of bunch emergence. The support should be provided at neck region to avoid falling over in wind or heavy yield.
Wrapping or bagging of bunches
This practice is done to protect from sun burn, hot wind and dust and for uniform development of fingers. It improves fruit quality. Jute sack, polythene sheet can be used.
Flowering
Normally plants flower in 8-12 months after planting and 3-4 months for maturity. The withered flowers should be removed after the bunch is formed. The male flower is also removed.
Pollination
Female flowers bloom first, in groups called hands. These produce the fruit. Sterile flowers then bloom, followed by the male flowers, which produce the pollen. In the wild, birds move the pollen from the male to the female flowers. Cultivated varieties of banana trees are pollinated in the presence of wild banana trees.
Fruit set
Unfertilized female flowers in cultivated varieties produce fruit after the flower goes too long without fertilization. The ovules cease developing, and the fruit pulp swells as the bananas grow. The purplish bracts that shelter the hands of flowers roll back, and the starchy, green bananas grow in the same cluster formation. The bananas can change yellow either on the tree or hung in a cool, shaded, well-ventilated area.
Fruit growth and development.
The ovaries contained in the first (female) flowers grow rapidly, developing parthenocarpically (without pollination) into clusters of fruits, called hands. The fruit (technically a berry) turns from deep green to yellow or red, and may be 12 inches in length and 2 inches in width. The flesh, ivory-white to yellow or salmon-yellow, may be firm, sharp, even gummy with fluid when unripe.
Insect pest of Banana
1. Banana weevil
The adult mainly damage the plant.
They make tunnels in the stem or rhizome. This tunnel creates bacterial infection.
The affected plant becomes yellow and fall down even in slow wind velocity.
Control:
• Uproot the infected plant and destroy it properly.
Adopt clean cultivation.
• Remove the unwanted plant from the orchard.
• Spray Malathion @ 2ml/1 of water at 15-20 days interval.
2.Banana Aphid
• The adult and nymph suck the sap from the tender part of the plant.
• The affected part reduces in size and decrease the overall production. Od decrease
Control:
Remove the affected plant parts.
Spray Dimethoate 30�@ 2-3 ml/l of water at 15 days interval.
Disease of Banana
1. Fungal Disease
a. Leaf Spot
C/O: Fungus
S.N: Cercospora musae
Symptoms:
• It infects the younger leaves.
• Yellow spots are seen on the lower surface of the leaves.
Control:
Avoid water logging condition.
Spray Fungicide (Diathane M-45)
b. Panama wilt
C/O: Fungus
S.N: Fussarium oxysporum var. cubense
Symptoms:
. This is soil borne disease and develops under acidic soil, wet condition and high humidity. Yellowing of leaves takes place and the leaves hang around the pseudo Stem.
• Cracking and discolouration of vascular bundles are major symptoms of this disease.
Control:
• Grow disease resistant varieties like Robusta and Dwarf Cavendish.
• Destroy the affected plant part.
• Select the suckers from the disease free area.
• Apply lime @ 1 Kg per pit during its planting.
• Spray Bavistin @ 1-2 g/l of water infected plant.
c. Anthracnose C/O: Fungus; Colletotrichum musae
Symptoms:
• Small brown spots are developed on the fruits.
. Later on the spots turn into black. The affected fruit become yellow.
• In severe condition, the fruit become black and start to wrinkled.
Control:
• Prevent the plant from injury.
• Spray Bavistin @ 1-2 g/l of water.
2. Bacterial Disease
Moko Disease
C/O: Bacteria
S.N: Pseudomonas solanacearum
Sympotoms:
• Wilting of plant takes place. Petals of the leaves break down from pseudostem.
• The leaves get shattering and the fruits ripe before it matur
Control
• Adopt clean cultivation. • Use resistant varietiey
• Spray Streptocycline @ 1g/l of water at 15 days interval
3. Viral Disease
Bunchy top
Generally, growth of the plant stops and leaves emerge closely. The leaves get crowded. The fruits become smaller.
Control
• Adopt clean cultivation
• Use suitable pesticide to control the vector
• Properly destroy the affected plant
Physiological disorder
1. Choke through
Choke throat occurs when the bunch does not emerge normally from the pseudo stem. The distorted and mishappen fruit is unmarketable. It is caused by stresses such as water logging, cold, high temperature, water or nutrient shortage.
2. Wilting of plan
Leaves turn yellow from the base, deep and longitudinal cracks appear at the base of the pseudostems and extend up to the corm, damage plants and die
3. Formation of splitted finger
Deep and longitudional cracks along the fruit appear, secondary infections take place via the cracks of fruits, this disorder is prominent in rainy months. Due to the severe water stress, tissues of the fruits get damaged with the absorption of water. These damaged tissues tend to expand and form crack
Stage of maturity
Angular shape of finger changes to round. Dark green color of finger changes to light or pale green color. In practice, banana is harvested after browning of male bud or leaves.