Nendran Banana Cultivation

1. Cultivation Practices , Pest & Disease
Management
Prepared by Ancy P
George
NENDRAN BANANA

2. VARIETIS OF NENDRAN
 Manjeri Nendran
 Chengalikodan
 Kottayam Banana
 Kaliyethan
 quintal Banana
 Swarna Mughi
 Zanzibar
 Big ebanga

3. Season
Rain fed crops April-May
August to September (Specially for
Onam Market)
Irrigated Crop

4. Pit size : 50cmX50cmX50cm
Organic manure for banana planting-10Kg
Banana is propagated through suckers. 3-4 month old disease free sword suckers are used
for planting
Lime or dolomite has to be applied in acid soils two weeks ahead of
fertilizer application. Organic manure @ 10 kg/plant is
recommended at planting time. Apply the fertilizer 60-75 cm
around the plant. Irrigate immediately after manuring.

5. Single sucker
planting
2mX2m 10suckers
per cent
1000
suckers for
one acre
2500
suckers for
one hectare
Double sucker
planting
3mX 2m 6 suckers per
cent
666 suckers
for one acre
1666
suckers for
one hectare
Spacing/Number of Plants

6. Time of application
of Fertilizer
Urea/Factomphos Rajphos/Rockphos
with Factomphos
Muriate of Potash
first month 87g/200g 360g/140g 100g
Second month 65g /150g 275g /110g 100g
Third 65g -- 100g
Fourth 65g -- 100g
Fifth 65g -- 100g
Sixth 65g --
Fertilizer recommendation in Nendran Banana
Six Split Application
Spraying dosage of sulfate of Potash- spray 30g per litre of water after complete flower bud opening and
second spray after two weeks of first spraying(3%)

7. Total Quantity
of Fertilizer
Urea Rajphos Muriate
of Potash
412 gram 638gram 500gram
Two split application
Time of
application
of Fertilizer
Urea Rajphos Muriate of
Potash
2 months
after
planting.
206 gram 319 gram, 250 gram
4 months
after
planting
206 gram 319 gram, 250 gram

8. Major Pests in Nendran Banana
Psuedostem weevil :
Recommended to remove severly affected plants.
Regularly remove dried hanging leaves of the plant.
Observe strict field sanitation. Uproot severly affected plants and burn or destroy using
kerosene. Place 50 gram neem cake powder or bar soap in the leaf axils on the 5th and 7th
month.
Cut pseudo stem into small pieces in lengths of up to 60 cm and split each along its length.
The split pseudo stem are placed in the soil in the way that the cut portion faces the ground.
The recommended number is 30 to 40 numbers (split traps) per acre.The open cut side of the
above pseudostem trap can be sprayed with solution of Beauveria bassiana (5 gram /liter).
The weevil gets infected by the fungal spores when it enters the pseudostem trap. This kills
the insects within 72 hours.
In case of severe attack, spray or Quinalphos 25 EC (1.5 ml/litre of water)/Chlorpyriphos 20EC
(1.5ml per one litre of water) with nozzle directed to the leaf axils and bore holes

9. Major Pests in Nendran Banana
Rhizome weevil :
Use planting material free of weevils. Apply neemcake @ 1 kg/plant at the
time of planting. Cut and remove the outer layer of the rhizome and sundry
for 3-4 days after smearing it with slurry of cow dung and ash.
Deep plough the land to expose the inner soil layer to sun. Place pieces of
old rhizomes or pseudo stems 1-2 feet long splits and placed on the
plantation floor between plants. Adult beetles migrate into these stems and
can be collected by hand and killed.
Before planting dipping of suckers in Chlorpyriphos 20 EC (2 ml/litre of
water) for 30 minutes to protect rhizome from weevil attack.
Application of Thiamethoxam 25 WG (2 gram/10 litre) or Fipronil 0.3G (10
gram formulation per plant) at planting followed by two applications 2 nd
and 5 th months after planting.

10. Major Pests in Nendran Banana
Banana Aphid :
The aphid should be controlled by spraying Dimethoate 30 EC (1.5 ml / litre of water).
Root Mealy Bug,
Apply Neem cake 500g per pit at the time of planting/Soil drench Chlorpyriphos 2ml per one
litre of water
Nematodes etc.
Plant nematode-free corms in fallow soil. Apply neem cake (1 kg/plant) at the time of planting
to reduce the pest population. Sucker treatment with Bacillus macerans/ Paecilomyces
lilacinus (5 gram/sucker, 10 gram/pit at 45 dats after planting.)

11. Major Diseases in Nendran Banana
Panama Wilt :Severely affected plants should be uprooted and burnt. Highly infected soil
should not be replanted with banana at least for 3-4 years. Dipping of suckers in Carbendazim
50 WP (2 gram/litre of water) followed by bimonthly drenching starting from 4 months after
planting is also recommended.Place 2-3 Carbendazim 50 WP capsules in rhizome and at the
base of pseudostem.
Drench the soil around the affected clumps with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Carbendazim 50
WP (2 gram/litre of water) or drench soil with Hexaconazole 5 EC (1 ml / litre of water) or
Propiconazole 25 EC (1 ml / litre of water).
Sigatoka leaf spot :Remove and destroy severely infected and completely dried leaves.
Spray Bordeaux mixture (1%) or Mancozeb 75 WP (3 gram/litre of water) along with stickers 4-
5 times at 2-3 weeks interval as prophylactic measure.Improve drainage, adopt weed control
and proper spacing, and remove excess suckers. In diseased field, spray Hexaconazole 5 EC
(1 ml / litre of water) or Propiconazole 25 EC (1 ml / litre of water) or Thiophanate Methyl 75 WP
(1 gram/litre of water) or Carbendazim 50 WP (1 gram/litre of water) at fortnightly intervals after
adding stickers(Stanovet 0.5ml per one litre)
Anthracnose or fruit rot :
Avoid wounds on banana bunches / fruits. Spray Carbendazim 50 WP (1 gram/litre of water) or
Mancozeb 75 WP (3 gram /litre of water).

12. Major Diseases in Nendran Banana
Rhizome Rot ,bacterial rot : Eradicate/destroy infected clumps of suckers. Subsequently,
disinfect the area with Bleaching powder (1 gram/litre of water) solution. Avoid furrow irrigation and
follow basin irrigation. Disinfect the irrigation water with 0.1% bleaching powder (1 g / litre of water)
solution.
Spread bleaching powder or 10 % fresh cow dung slurry (100 gram/litre of water) in the banana
basin. Drench soil with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride 50 WP (2 gram/litre of water). Us
disease free planting material. Remove Heliconia spp. and other weeds from the field and nearby area
Disinfect implements and tools used in the field with bleaching powder or phenol.
Provide better drainage. Leave soil fallow for 6 months, especially in summer. Adopt crop rotation
involving non-host crops for 12 months. Before planting, treat suckers with Copper oxychloride 50
WP (4 gram/litre of water) for 30 minutes. Drench soil with antibiotics like Streptomycin /
Streptocycline 500 ppm (5 gram/10 litre of water).
Bacterial Wilt or Moko disease : Subsequently, disinfect the area with Bleaching powder (1 gram/litre of water)
solution. Avoid furrow irrigation and follow basin irrigation. Disinfect the irrigation water with 0.1% bleaching powde
(1 g / litre of water) solution.Spread bleaching powder or 10 % fresh cow dung slurry (100 gram/litre of water) in the
banana basin. Drench soil with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride 50 WP (2 gram/litre of water). Use
disease free planting material. Remove Heliconia spp. and other weeds from the field and nearby area. Disinfect
implements and tools used in the field with bleaching powder or phenol. Provide better drainage. Leave soil fallow fo
6 months, especially in summer.Adopt crop rotation involving non-host crops for 12 months. Before planting, treat
suckers with Copper oxychloride 50 WP (4 gram/litre of water) for 30 minutes. Drench soil with antibiotics like
Streptomycin / Streptocycline 500 ppm (5 gram/10 litre of water).

13. Major Diseases in Nendran Banana
Banana bract mosaic disease (Kokkan) : Systematic eradication of the diseased
plants, suckers and the clumps is very essential. Planting materials should not be collected from
places affected by this disease.Plants adjacent to the healthy plants should also be sprayed. The
affected plant should be killed with kerosene or herbicides such as 2, 4-D or 2, 4, 5-T. The
rhizome should be dug out, cut into small pieces and sprayed again with herbicide so that no
suckers can be produced which may harbour the virus. Avoid growing leguminous and
cucurbitaceous vegetables as intercrop. Before planting, spread lemon grass in the pits.The
aphid should be controlled by spraying Dimethoate 30 EC (1.5 ml / litre of water).
Apply Carbosulfan 6G (15 gram/ plant) 20 days after planting around the rhizomes in soil for
controlling vectors and subsequently in the leaf axils (5 gram Carbosulfan 6G) at 2 ½ months and
5 ½ months after planting.
Banana mosaic or Infection chlorosis :Systematic eradication of the diseased
plants, suckers and the clumps is very essential. The aphid should be controlled by spraying
Dimethoate 30 EC (1.5 ml / litre of water).Apply Carbosulfan 6G (15 gram/ plant), 20 days after
planting around the rhizomes in soil for controlling vectors and subsequently in the leaf axils (5
gram Carbosulfan 6G) at 2 ½ months and 5 ½ months after planting.
Banana streak mosaic disease : Same as Banana mosaic or Infection chlorosis