Bunch Feeding in Banana

 

• The technology of enhancing the size of fingers of banana in the bunch to suit the market demands by de-navelling and post-shooting feeding of N, K and S through the distal stalk-end of rachis was successfully developed.
• De-navelling saves mobilization of nutrients into the unwanted rink of banana plant and earns additional income when the excised male bud is used as a vegetable.
• The technique involves blending 15 g of (approximately 7.5g of urea) and 7.5 g of sulphate of potash dissolved in 100 ml water in 500 g of fresh cow dung and applying the slurry to the de-navelled stalk-end of ‘Robusta’ bunch soon after fruit set.
• About 10-15cm long rachis should be available after the last hand to tie the plastic bag (used and milk bag is convenient) with a strong string.
• Experimentally it was found that by this treatment, the bunch weight increased by 67% over ‘control’ in which the male flower was retained till harvest.
• In the demonstration taken up in the field, a response of 22% increase in bunch weight was observed in the ‘Robusta’ banana plantation.
• The technology is very cost effective since the cost involved in about Rs. 2/- per bunch while the improvement is of 4 – 5 kg of ‘Robusta’ and 2 – 3 kg of ‘Ney Poovan’ banana bunch.  The technology is gaining popularity fast in Karnataka.