Banana Second week practices

Planting

Bananas can be planted using 3 methods:

1. Tissue culture plants
2. Bits
3. Suckers

Planting method for tissue culture plants- Tissue culture plants are small plants which are grown from the tissue of the banana plant, in bags and are ready for planting.

For hygiene reasons, this is the preferred method for planting bananas.

Prepare for planting by digging holes- Add old kraal manure and put some loose soil back into the holes. Do not add more than 10g of MAP into each planting hole.

Remove the plastic bag before planting and place the plant in the hole. The soil in the bag must not break up. Fill the hole with soil round the plant and compact it.

Pre-treatment of suckers- Trim the roots and decayed portion of the corm, cut the pseudostem leaving 20cm from the corm and grade the suckers to size.

To avoid wilt diseases in rasthali, monthan, virupakshi and other wilt susceptible varieties, infected portions of the corm may be pared and dipped for 5 minutes in 0.1% emisan solution (1g in 1 lit. of water). Alternatively, dip the corm with 0.75% monocrotophos, shade dry for atleast 24 hours and plant.

Planting method for bits and suckers

• Bits are small portions of the bananas plant cut from the rhizome (corm) of the plants and a bud is attached.
• Suckers are shoots growing from the rhizome of banana plants and they grow into new plants.

When planting bits, the planting depth must be 10cm and the bit also about 10cm.

Note: Buds point the same direction on each plant.

The planting method for suckers is the same as for planting tissue culture plants.

Space the rows 3m apart and the plants 1.5m in the row. Irrigate the banana plant after planting.