High density Planting in Banana

CARD- Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Banana –District Back Ground • Total Area - 4647 Ha

• Average production - 17659 tones

• Productivity - 9.355kg/Ha

• Major Varieties - Nendran (70% area)

Palayamkodan

Njalipoovan

Poovan

• Farmer Back ground - Resource poor farmers- grow

Nendran Banana in leased land

• Major Problem Identified - Low profitability due to high cost of production

Timeline of Intervention • 2007-08Identified High density planting Using Tissue Culture plants of

Nendran Banana as technology to be tested

Intervention - OFT - 3 trials Location - Kodumon village

Technological Option 1 - Double Planting • Source of Technology – Kerala Agricultural University• Details of Technology

Row to Row and Pit to Pit spacing – 3m x 2 m

No of Plants /pit - 2 Nos

Planting Methodology – Plants planted at a spacing of 30 cm perpendicular to the direction of row

No of Pits / ha - 1666 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )

No of Plants / Ha - 3332 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )

• Technological Option 2- Triple Planting

• Source of Technology – Tamil Nadu Agricultural University-IVLP publication

• Details of Technology

Row to Row and Pit to Pit spacing – 3m x 2 m

No of Plants /pit - 3 Nos

Planting Methodology – Plants planted at the three corners of a triangle of 30 cm

No of Pits/ Ha - 1666 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )

No of Plants / Ha - 4998 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )

Other Interventions - Trainings conducted 3 Nos ,44 participants

Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana

Timeline of Intervention cont ….

Result• Average yield/pit (kg) Plant Height

Farmers practice – 9.02kg Farmers Practice- 3.25m

Double Planting - 16.25kg Double planting – 3.35m

Triple planting - 21.04kg Triple Planting – 3.68m

Timeline of Intervention cont ….

Yield Net Return BC Ratio

Farmers practice 10.02 t/ha 170750 1.8:1

Double planting 27.07 t/ha 236572 2.09:1

Triple planting 35.05t/ha 328202 2.23:1

Observations and Farmers Feed backs•In triple planting the plants grow taller due to competition for light resulting in greater wind damage• Application of 25% extra fertilizer as in double planting is not sufficient in triple planting •Plants took more time to come in to flowering in triple planting and no uniform flowering •Pseudo stem girth is poor in triple planting

Timeline of Intervention • 2008-09Intervention - OFT - 3 trials

Location – Ranny, Ayroor villages

Technological Option 1 - Double Planting

Technological Option 2- Triple Planting

Details of Refinement

Planting Methodology – Plants planted at the three corners of a triangle of 45 cm, instead of 30cm last year

Fertilizer Application - Fertilizer dose increased to 75% more than in single planting, Instead of 25% last year

Other Interventions - 1. Trainings conducted 9 Nos

- 2. Double planting included in FFS conducted

- 3. Presented double planting in the Research – Extension Interaction organised

by Dep. Of Agri , Pathanamthitta

Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana

Result• Average yield/pit (kg) Plant Height

Farmers practice- 8.2kg Farmers practice – 2.90m

Double Planting – 18.7kg Double planting– 3.2m

Triple planting- 20.7kg Triple Planting - 3.45m

Timeline of Intervention cont ….

Yield (t/ha) Net Return BC Ratio

Farmers practice 8.66 165320 2.95:1

Double planting 28.04 188350 4.05:1

Triple planting 29.31 172550 3.23:1

Observations and Farmers Feed backs• Farmers plant at a wider spacing of 3 m x3 m reducing the plant population to 1111/ha

and planting is done using suckers •In triple planting the plants grow taller due to competition for light resulting in greater

wind damage• Pseudo stem girth considerably improved than last year in triple planting • One of the plants among the three showed delayed flowering in triple planting

Timeline of Intervention • 2009-10Intervention - OFT - 3 trials

Location – Pandalam Thekkekara Village

Technological Option 1 - Double Planting

Technological Option 2- Triple Planting

Details of Refinement

Planting Methodology – In triple planting the spacing modified to

3.6m x1.8 m as per NRCB, Trichi recommendation

Plants planted at the three corners of a triangle of 45 cm as last year

Fertilizer Application - Fertilizer dose increased to 75% more than in single planting as last year

Other Interventions - 1. Trainings conducted 12 Nos

- 2. Double planting included in FFS on IFS

- 3. Double plantion demonstrated through ATMA in all the blocks of the district ( total area of spread of the technology in the district 52 ha )

Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana

Result – Plants are about to flower

Through the OFTs …

Planting Operations