Banana Directives and Learning Page
The banana was domesticated in the hot and humid forests that extend from India to the Solomon Islands, where wild species of bananas are native. Even though the bananas that were domesticated for edibility have lost the ability to spontaneously engage in sexual reproduction, they are basically cut from the same cloth as their wild ancestors.
Identification and Names
By no means is this meant to be a definitive, all-encompassing list. Instead, it is a compilation of the varieties we’ve come across along with our own notes. Our research was admittedly made difficult with no agricultural background, and by the fact that similar bananas may go by different names in different places. Nevertheless, we try to accumulate our knowledge of our specific agricultural directives, SOPs, and learning bits and bytes.
Banana Leaves Identification, General.
Banana Plant Identification, SABA, LATUNDAN, LAKATAN, TINDUK, MORADO.
Find your Banana Variety with this Identification Check List
Pruning and Weeding
Anything green is good. Yellow and dry brown can be removed. We must dip our bolo into a Clorox emulsion to disinfect it. The cut leaves are to be laid on the ground as mulching. Remove all brushes and cassava.
Wet, mushy, dark brown is rot and must be removed immediately, as it will migrate through the entire plant.
Planting Layout models.
Square Layout
In the square layout we plant 2 rows of Banana, each 3 meters apart, In our 9 meters planting distance, the rows are 3 meters apart, from coconut tree to banana plant, and rom banana to banana.
Triangle Layout
In the triangle layout we plant 2 rows of Banana, each 2.5 meters apart only. In our 9 meters planting distance, the rows were 3 meters apart, from coconut tree to banana plant, and from banana plant to banana plant, and then again from banana plant to coconut tree. But due to the triangle layout the rows for the coconuts are closer together, because the rows are running in an angle.
Fertilization
Soil type is almost irrelevant. The plants are shallow rooted, 12-18″ deep at most.
Fertilizer: when plants are actively growing, you almost cannot over-fertilize. The only ill-affect of extreme fertilization that has been seen is expressed in tangled leaves on some varieties which have a particular leaf-emergence style.
Banana requires higher fertilization due to its rapid and vigorous growth and high fruit yield. The nutrient uptake studies also reveal that the uptake per unit area is more than any other crop. The nutrient uptake pattern analysis conducted in different countries showed that a crop of 40-60 t of yield/ha removes nearly 250-300 Kg N,25-40 Kg P,800-1200 Kg K,150-180 Kg Ca,40-60 Kg Mg and 14-20 Kg S per hectare. This reveals that the fertilizer applied should contain more of nitrogen and potash in the ratio of 1:3.
Fertilizing Schedule per each Plant
Until further notice, we skip most of the fertilizing since SALES are not organized yet. But we should fertilize every six months. That means at planting, or rejuvenating and at 6 months in.
Fertilizing Mixture for Groups
This mixture is for a whole bunch of trees. You will find the right volume by multiplying and adding the table values. I.e., if you want to mix for 500 trees, you simply add the ones for 400 trees and 100 trees of the same month. For now we only want to use at PLANTING and 6 MONTHS. We ignore the rest for now until further notice.
http://webebananas.com/culture.html
Common Banana Plant Pests and their Effects
There are many different types of pests that can affect banana plants, and each one can cause different problems. Some of the most common banana plant pests include:
Aphids – Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that feed on the sap of plants. They can cause leaves to yellow and curl, and can also transmit diseases.
Whiteflies – Whiteflies are small, white insects that suck the sap from plants. They can cause leaves to yellow and drop off, and can also spread diseases.
Mealybugs – Mealybugs are small, fuzzy insects that feed on the sap of plants. They can cause leaves to turn yellow and drop off, and can also spread diseases.
Scale Insects – Scale insects are small, hard-bodied insects that feed on the sap of plants. They can cause leaves to yellow and drop off, and can also spread diseases.
Leafhoppers – Leafhoppers are small, winged insects that suck the sap from plants. They can cause leaves to yellow and curl, and can also transmit diseases.
Protection against insects and diseases
The banana is attacked by many insects and diseases.
• Weevil
This insect makes holes in the base of the banana plant and lays its eggs in these holes. The eggs turn into little weevils. They eat out the heart of the banana plant.
You do not see the weevils, but if the fruit bunch does not develop, or if the bunch is small and badly shaped, there may be weevils. To find out if there are weevils in the plantation, cut pieces of the plant’s apparent trunk lengthwise. Put two pieces on the ground near each plant.
Look every day at these pieces. If there are weevils in the plantation,
they will hide under the pieces of “trunk.” To control the weevils, use BHC.
Put 25 to 30 grammes of BHC round each plant.
• Banana eelworm or nematode
These are tiny worms that are found in the soil. They eat the roots, and once the banana has no roots, it cannot feed, and may be blown over by the wind.
Make sure the bananas have no eelworms when they are planted.
Before planting, dip the suckers in lukewarm water, or in water mixed with Clorox. If there are eelworms in the plantation, put Clorox in the soil.
• Other pests
There are other pests that attack bananas such as thrips, aphids, scale insects, etc. They are controlled with BHC, Aldrin or Dieldrin.
• Panama disease
This disease is caused by a tiny fungus in the soil. It makes the leaves break. If you cut the banana plant, the apparent trunk is colored brownish red.
To control the disease, plant resistant dwarf varieties such as Poyo or Lacatan. These bananas are very resistant to Panama disease.
• Leaf spot disease
This disease is caused by a fungus. The leaves show grey spots ringed with dark yellow. The banana plant cannot breathe and the yield falls greatly.
The disease appears when the temperature is high and the air is very humid.
It is treated by spraying with mineral oil, using 12 to 20 liters per hectare.
• Bunchy top
This disease is carried by an aphid. Dark green streaks appear on the leaves.
The leaves do not grow long and are wavy at the edges. Dig up the diseased banana plants. The aphid can be controlled with Malathion or Dieldrin.
• “Cigar-end” rot
The fruits go rotten. The disease begins at the tips of the bananas. To control this disease, cut off the last hand that does not grow and break off the male flower bud.
• Mosaic disease
Small yellow patches appear on the leaves toward the midrib. You can see them easily by holding the leaf up to the sun. You can also see little holes in the leaf-stalk. To control the disease, dig up the plants and wait a long time before planting again in the same place.
• False mosaic disease
Light spots of varying color can be seen on the leaves. This is not a serious disease. It may be caused by lack of copper in the soil.
• Lack of zinc
The plant’s leaves do not grow very long, and are pale, narrow and pointed.
The disease is cured by sprinkling on the ground
50 grammes of zinc sulphate per plant.
• Lack of magnesium
The disease is cured by applying dolomitic limestone.
https://parachutekalpavriksha.org/blogs/blog-post/pest-management-tips-for-banana-farming
Irrigation and Watering.
- The total water requirement of banana plants is about 900-1200 mm for its entire life cycle and this can be met both through natural precipitation (rainfall) as well as supplementary irrigation.
- Maintaining optimum moisture at all stages of growth is very critical and providing good drainage facility to drain out excess water from the root zone equally important to promote better growth and enhance the productivity.
- In general, irrigation of the banana plantations every 3- 4 days during hot period and at 7-8 days interval during cool weather is recommended.
http://www.agritech.tnau.ac.in/expert_system/banana/irrigationmanagement.html
Flowering and Harvest
Mat management: try to keep 3-4 plants in you “mat” (clump), of varying sizes and maturities, approximately 6-9 months apart. This will give you a more consistent harvest. Some varieties seem to be more affected by crowding than others.
Plant Support
The fruit of banana plants is very heavy. The plant bends under the weight, and the wind may blow it down. You must prevent it from falling.
To do this, cut bamboos about 3 meters long.
1 1/2 – 2″ thick. Make a hole at one end of each bamboo. Tie two bamboos together with a piece of wire 40 centimeters long.
Put the bamboos in place, as shown in the drawing, when the flowers have appeared and turned down to the earth. The bamboos hold up the banana plant. It rests on the wire between the two bamboos.
The secret is the 45 degree stand, which gives a very good side-to-side stability (shear resistance). 2Anything larger is not necessary. It is important, when using any form of propping or staking to support the weight at the very top of the bunch. Propping at any point lower on the trunk usually ends with the pseudo stem folded or broken at the support point.
Fallen over Plants
Even if the plant if “folded” by the wind, as long as there is some connection remaining in the flower stem, the fruit will ripen normally. It is better to leave the damaged stalk “as is” rather than damaging it further by trying to straighten or move it.
Flower Removal
If you remove the flower, leave about 12″ of the stem below the last hand of fruit. If the stem desiccates up past the point where the fruit is attached to the stem, that fruit loses connection with the plant, and will usually not be edible.
After Harvest.
The banana plant only flowers once and then it dies. I leave the old plant as long is it has green leaves, on the theory that it is still contributing energy to the mat (group). When the leaves have faded, and the trunk begins to desiccate, remove the plant in stages, till only the old corm remain.
Propagation
Banana plants are propagated by division.
Sword suckers: These have narrow upright leaves (looking like “swords”) and a large rhizome, making them strong and capable of developing into robust banana plants. Sword suckers are preferred for propagation because they tend to produce healthier and more productive plants. They often grow closer to the mother plant.
Water suckers: These have broad leaves and a smaller rhizome. Water suckers are generally weaker and less vigorous than sword suckers. It is recommended to remove water suckers from the banana corm to ensure better growth of the main plant. They often grow farther away from the mother plant.
