Download Copy of Propagation of Banana by Suckers

Introduction:
• Banana is the 4th largest fruit crop of the world.
• Banana is tropical crop, requiring warm, humid climate.
• Relative humidity 75 to 85%
• Temperature range of 15ºC – 35ºC
• Freezing temperatures kill the foliage.
• It grows well in the average rainfall of 650-750 mm.
• Banana is a fast-growing herbaceous perennial arising
from underground rhizomes.
Contd…
Introduction:
• High velocity of wind which exceeds 80 km /hr.
damages the crop.
• Bananas are grown in every humid tropical region.
• Bananas must be planted in rich, well-drained soil for
• commercial production.
• They prefer acid soil with a pH range, 5.5 to 6.5.
• The banana is intolerant to salty soils
Propagation:
• Propagation through suckers or corms.
• Selected sword-suckers must have the following features:
A well-developed rhizome.
Conical shape.
Lanceolate leaves.
Actively growing central buds.
Weighing 500–750g.
•
Well-developed rhizomes with dormant lateral buds and
‘dead’ central bud are used in western and central
Maharashtra.
Sucker treatment:
• Select sword suckers free from diseases and nematodes
and trim the roots and decayed portion of the corm.
• Grade the suckers according to size and cut the
pseudostem 20 cm from the corm.
• For controlling wilt disease in Rasthali, Monthan,
Neyvannan, Virupakshi varieties, the corm is dipped in
0.1% Emisan solution for 5 minutes (1 g in 1 lit of water)
after removal of the infected parts of the corm.
• Nematodes are controlled by pralinage with 40 g of
Carbofuran 3 G granules per sucker, i.e. dipping the corm
in slurry solution of 4 parts clay plus 5 parts water with
sprinkled Carbofuran or the corms are dipped with 0.75%
Monocrotophos.
• The corms are shade dried for 24 hours before plantation.
Banana Plantation by Sword Suckers
Sword Sucker
A Banana Plantation
Time of Plantings:
• Planting is done in June- July. But cultivar, agro
climatic conditions and market demand determines the
time of planting in bananas.
• Sigatoka-susceptible banana cultivars must be planted so
as to avoid bunch emergence in monsoon.
• Dwarf varieties: Planted in furrow with spacing 1.5 x 1.5
m.
• Tall varieties: Spacing 2 to 3 m spacing.
• Plant population obtained for dwarf varieties at 1.5 x1.5 m
spacing is 4444 plants/ha.
After Care:
Desuckering: Desuckering improves yield. Desuckering is
done once in 45 days.
Propping or supporting: Banana is a shallow rooted crop
and gets uprooted by wind or by weight of bunch.
Mulching: Helps conserve soil moisture and suppresses
weed growth.