HIGH DENSITY PLANTING IN BANANA

Banana is the fourth important food crop in terms of gross value exceeded only by paddy, wheat and milk products. In India, banana contributes to nearly 32% of the total fruit production.
The normal spacing provided for `Robusta’ and `Dwarf Cavendish’ is either 2.1 m x 2.1 m (2267 plants/ha) or 1.8 m x 1.8 m (3086 plants/ha) with yield levels of 60-65 tons per ha. In recent years, the emphasis has been on increasing the productivity per unit area by following closer spacing. A closer spacing can be adopted under good management conditions using micro-irrigation and fertigation techniques. However, a major limiting factor in banana high density planting will be the sunlight which affects flowering, crop duration and maturity and also on the performance of ratoon crop
Planting material
Sword suckers with well-developed rhizome, conical in shape and actively growing control buds weighing 600-750 g are ideal.
Cultivar
Robusta/Dwarf Cavendish

Planting time
All round the year, best yield when planted during February-March
Planting density
A plant density of 4444/ha (1.5 m x 1.5 m spacing)
Pit size
2 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft
Fertilizer dose
Soil application : FYM 40 t/ha, 200g N-100 g P2O5-200 g K2O/plant/crop
Fertigation:150 g N and 150 g K2O/plant/crop
Irrigation
Irrigate the crop when the cumulative pan evaporation values reach 45-50 mm under conventional methods of irrigation. Under drip irrigation, replenishment of 80% of evaporation losses is recommended on a daily basis.
Bunch weight
25-28 kg
Yield
100-120 t/ha
Advantages of fertigation
a) Higher productivity

b) Economy in fertilizer use through fertigation

c) Higher fertilizer use efficiency

d) Advantage of using required fertilizer at any stage of crop growth