Analysis of soil
Loam soil-
Loam soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay that are combined to avoid the negative effects of each type.
These soils are fertile, easy to work with and provide good drainage. Depending on their predominant composition they can be either sandy or clay loam.
As the soils are a perfect balance of soil particles, they are considered to be a gardener’s best friend, but still benefit from topping up with additional organic matter.
- Banana crops need deep, rich loamy soil with a pH between 6.5-7.5. Soil for bananas should have good drainage, adequate fertility and moisture.
- Soil analysis for lime and phosphate is essential before planting. Add kraal manure or compost if available.
- Fertilize the soil using 4 bags of MAP fertilizer per hectare.
- Add 2 bags of lime if the pH is low on soil analysis.
Field preparation-
Rotavator or harrow is used to break the clod and bring the soil to a fine tilt. During soil preparation basal dose of FYM (about 50 tonnes/ha before last harrowing) is added and thoroughly mixed into the soil. The field is leveled by passing a blade harrow or laser leveler.
A pit size of 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm is normally required. The pits are to be refilled with topsoil mixed with 10 kg of FYM (well decomposed), 250 gm of neem cake and 20 gm of carbofuran.
Prepared pits are left to solar radiation which helps in killing the harmful insects and is effective against soil borne diseases and aids aeration.
In saline and alkali soil where pH is above 8, pit mixture is to be modified to incorporate organic matter. Addition of organic matter helps in reducing salinity while addition of perlite improves porosity and aeration.
Banana popular varieties- Dwarf cavendish, robusta, monthan, poovan, nendran, red banana, nyali, safe velchi, basarai, ardhapur, rasthali, karpuravalli, kartthali and grand naine.
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