Banana

Introduction• Food security in the broad spectrum

encompasses issues of :

– Food availability

– Food accessibility

– Food affordability

– Food safety

• Known as AAA’S

Features• Increase in food demand – increase

population.

• Competition for resource use - agricultural vs. non-agricultural

• Occurrence of calamities – climate change

• Technology needs – productivity enhancement

• Changing trends in food habit – Raw vs. Processed.

Banana in Malaysia

• Most important fresh fruits

Durian > Pineapple > Banana

• Main producing areas

– Pahang: Raub & Lipis

– Perak: Parit, Kuala Kangsar & Larut Matang

– Johor: Kulang, Pontian & Batu Pahat

• Varieties planted more than 70 species.

Scientific Classification

• Family : Musaceae

• Genus : Musa

• Species : Musa acuminata

Desert banana ( A genome )

Musa balbisiana

Plantain / cooking banana ( B

genome )

Climate• Suitable to the tropical climate with small

temperature fluctuations from day to night and

throughout the year.

• Temperature: determine the rate of banana growth &

developemnet.

– 21 C – 32 ̊ C̊

• Rainfall: crop has high water demand.

– Average requirement = 2000 mm – 2500 mm / year

– Evenly distributed throughout the year.

– 8 – 12 liter per day.

Soil• Rich which means high fertility status & organic

matter content.

– 40 % clay, 75 % silt, 85 % loam.

• Suitable soil series:

– Tok Yong Series, Penambang Series, Kerayong

Series, Beserah Series, Kuantan Series, Gong

Chenak Series.

• Optimum soil pH is 6.0 – 7.5.

• Low soil pH makes banana more susceptible to

Panama disease.

Desert – Pisang Berangan ( AA )

• Each bunch has 8 -12 hands and weighed 12 – 20 kg.

• Every hand has 12 -20 fingers.

• Medium to large size fingers ranges 12 – 18 cm in

length and 2.5 – 3.5 cm in thickness.

• Fruit skin is thick, smooth and yellow in colour when

ripen.

• It has yellowish orange, pleasant aroma and sweet

flesh.

Desert – Cavendish ( AAA )

• The most popular cultivar grown is Montel,

Comel, Cabana and Sun King.

• Each bunch has 15 – 25 hands and weighed more

than 20 kg.

• Large size fingers range 15 – 22 cm in length and

3.5 – 4.5 cm in thickness.

• Fruit skin is thick, smooth and yellow in colour

when ripen.

• It has white, fine texture, pleasant aroma and

sweet flesh.

Propagation Method

ConventionalIn Vitro Planting

Tissue Culture

BIT( Corm / Rhizome)

Suckers

SwordSuckers

WaterSuckers

Sword Sucker Water Sucker

Banana Corm

Planting Materials - Conventional

• The bit ( corms / rhizome ) – flesh

structure at the base of the plant.

– Functioning as a food storage.

• Banana root systems arise from the

corm.

• Suckers develop from the newer portion

of the corm.

• Suckers – vegetative shoots which

develop from the root stalk of corm.

• Young plants which grow at the base

of the parent plant.

• There are 3 types of suckers:

– Peepers

– Sword suckers

– Water suckers

• Sword suckers

– Robust conical in shape.

– Large suckers with narrow leaves & large rhizome.

– Best material planting material.

• Water suckers

– Poorly developed suckers.

– Broad leaves, weak & narrow pseudostem.

– Small corms.

– Lack of vigor and not recommended as planting

material.

Peepers Plant Morphology

Planting Materials – In - vitro

• In vitro techniques

– Process of tissue culture from parent plant

to produce young plantlets as planting

materials.

• The processed to be done in a sterile condition.

• Mostly utilized by the big and established

plantations company.

Advantages of in - vitro

i. Large number of planting materials can be produced

within a short time.

ii. Ensures uniformity of size, shape and time of harvest.

iii. Healthy & vigorous growth.

iv. Shorter harvesting period.

v. Produce high yield potential.

vi. Pest and diseases tolerant if planted on clean

uninfected soil.

Disadvantages of in - vitro

i. High initial cost

ii. Intensive initial care

iii. Transmission of virus

iv. Physical instability in the field

Land Preparation

• Selected land must be cleared from any

vegetation, ploughed and harrowed.

• Followed by lining and holing

according to planting system and

planting distance selected.

• Square, rectangle / triangle planting

systems are recommended.

Planting System & Planting Distance

• Inter cropping with permanent crops

– Recommended planting distance 3 m x 3 m

– 1 111 plants / ha

• Monoculture crop

– Recommended planting distance is 3.0 m x

1.5 m

– 2 222 plants / ha

Holling & Planting• Size of planting holes is 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm.

• Allow holes to weather for 2 – 4 weeks.

• About 100 g of Christmas Island Rock Phosphate

(CIRP), 5 – 10 kg of organic fertilizer and 30 g of

Furadan are incorparated into each planting hole.

• Plant seedling with minimal disturbance to the roots.

• Soil around the plant should be tramped down firmly

to remove air pockets.

Pest & Diseases

Pests

Corm Weevil / Weevil Borer

Fruit Fly

Stem Borer, Weevil

Nematoda

Diseases

Sigatoka Leaf Fusarium

Wilt

Mycosphaerella musicola

Fusarium oxysporium

Fertilizer Application Program

Time of Application

Type of Fertilizer

Rate (kg) / Plant

At planting CIRP Organic fertilizer

0.110

1 month after planting

15:15:15 or 14:14:14

0.3

3 months after planting

15:15:15 or 14:14:14

0.4

5 -6 months after planting

12:12:17:2 or 12:16:22:3

0.5

Pruning• Leaves of the banana plant need to be pruned regularly.

• Type of fronds / leaves to be pruned:

– Dead fronds

– Diseased fronds

– Too close to the fruit brunch

• To avoid fruit damage ( bruising).

• To enable free air circulation around the developing fruits.

• The pruned leaves are gathered in a selected site (in

between the planting rows)

– Provides natural mulch to the plants.

Desuckering or Thinning of the Suckers

• Process of removing unwanted suckers.

• Involve in the selection of the suckers to be removed

and that to be maintained as ratoon.

• Proper desuckering enable farmer to regulate

cropping whether to plant or program the

harvesting seasons.

• Reduce unnecessary competition among suckers.

• Quality of bunches can also be improved.

Bunch Management – Bunch Propping

• Bunch propping is done to support

banana plants with bamboos or wooden

poles.

• Therefore, 2 bamboos should be

propped by placing 1 against the top of

the bunch and the other one is against

the stem on the leaning side.

Bunch Management – Bunch ProppingDeflowering

• Removal the “Bell” – the purple male

flower petals at the end of the bunch.

– Also known as “banana blosson” / “banana

heart”.

• It is cut off once the distance between the

distal hand and the top of the bell is at

least 15 cm at 8 -12 days after bunch

emergence.

• Fruit bunches normally ready to be

harvested in 7 -9 weeks after bell

formation.

• The time for harvesting depends on the

intended marketing strategy.

• Fruits for immediate marketing and foe

local consumption are harvested when

they are matured.

• For short distance transport, 90 %

maturity could be used.

• For long distance transport such as

by ship, 75 % maturity is normally

used.

• There are several criteria that can be

used as a guidance when harvesting

the bananas such as:

Maturation PeriodsVariety Maturation Period

( Weeks After Shooting)

Cavendish (AAA) 20 – 23

Berangan (AA) 11 – 14

Nangka (AAB) 22

Awak (ABB) 8

Harvesting IndicesRipene

ss Index

Fruit Colour Characteristics

1 Dark green Fruits is unripe and not suitable yet to be harvested.

2 Green with a little bit yellow

Fruit is almost matured, can be harvested for a long transportation journey through ships.

3 More green than yellow Fruit is fully matured. Not suitable to be harvested for a long transportation journey.

4 More yellow than green The fruit is almost ripe. Only suitable for the local market.

5 Yellow with a little bit at the fruit tips

The fruit is ripe. Only suitable for the local market.

6 Yellow The fruit is ripe. Only suitable for the local market. The best stage to be eaten freshly.

7 Yellow orangish The fruit is overripe. Only suitable for local market die to short shelf life.

Harvesting Method

• Mechanical harvesting system use

cable that can run the banana from

field to the processing house.

• Advantages:

– Faster

– Easier

– Less damage to the harvested bunches

Average Production

Variety 1st Year( mt / ha)

2nd Year( mt / ha)

3rd Year( mt / ha)

Berangan (AA)

13 26 24

Embun (AAA) 18 36 30

Mas (AA) 8 16 14

Post Harvest Operations

Removal of pronounced

ridges

Dehanding

Washing, delatexing &

fungicide treatment

Drying

Grading

Packing

Pre -cooling

Removal of air &

ethylene

Storage

Transportation

Banana ripening

room

Banana Production - Requirement

• Knowledge grower

• Systematic management