Cultivation of Banana - Varieties Description, Propagation, Planting, Special practices, Harvesting

1. Production Technology of Banana
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu -600117

2. Banana- Musa sp
Apple of paradise, “Adam’s fig or tree of wisdom - Banana
➢ Edible bananas are mostly hybrids of the two species
➢ M. acuminata, M. balbisiana
➢ Family :Musaceae
➢ Origin: South East Asia
➢ Banana is one of the oldest fruit known to mankind and also important food for
man
➢ Rich source of energy (137 K. Ca/100g)
➢ It is a good laxative
➢ They set fruits by parthenocarpy
➢ Banana by virtue of its, multiple uses is popularly known as Kalpataru

4. Climatic and soil requirements
• Banana humid tropical plant
• They can be cultivated at a temperature range of 10-40°C
• Optimum temperature range of 23-30°C
• Less than 10°C- “Choke” or impeded inflorescence
• Chilling injury occurs at temperatures below 12ºC
• Banana comes up well at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1500 m above
mean sea level.
• It requires well drained soils having a depth of at least 1 m. Sandy,
Alluvial soil
• The ideal pH is around 5.5 to 8.0

5. Genomic constitution
In India bananas are distributed in southern, eastern, central and north eastern parts within 800 and 300 N latitudes.
Major genomic groups and cultivars are AA group
• AA- Anaikomban, Matti, Kadali, Tongat, pisanglilin
• AB- Ney poovan (Elakki bale), Kunnan, Nathu Poovan. Thaen kunnan, Adakka Kunnan
• AAB- Poovan, Rasthali, Pachanadan/Kaali/Galibale, Nendra paditha, Rajapuri, Virupakshi/Sirumalai,
Nendran/Rajeli, Chinali
• AAA- Dwarf Cavendish/Basrai, Giant Cavendish, Robusta, Gross michel, Grand naine, William, Nagabale,
Chenkadali/Red banana, Chakkarakeli, Amrit sagar
• ABB- Nalla Bontha, Monthan/Kanchkela, Keribontha, Peyan, Karpuravalli, Sugandhi
• AAAA- Bodles Altafort, IC-2
• ABBB- Klue Taparod
• AABB- Kalamagol
• AAAB- Atan, Goldfinger (FHIA)

6. Dessert bananas
Commercially grown in the plains and hills
Exclusively for their fresh edible fruits
Plains : Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Rasthali, Poovan, Nendran,
Red Banana, Karpooravalli, CO.1, Matti, and Neypoovan
Hilly areas : Virupakshi, Sirumalai and Namarai, Red Banana,
Manoranjitham (Santhana vazhai) and Ladan

7. Culinary bananas
• The varieties viz., Monthan, Nendran, Vayal Vazhai,
Ash Monthan and Chakkia are grown for their fruits
which are cooked and prepared

8. CO.1 BANANA
Ladan (AAB) X Musa balbisiana (BB)
F1 (AB) X Kadali (AA)
CO.1 (AAB)
• The fruits have flavour and taste similar to hill banana, at the same time the plants can be
grown in plains
• The plants are medium tall (2.7 m)
• The bunch weighs on an average 10.5 kg having 7 hands with a total number of 80-85 fruits
full ripening
• Crop duration 14-15 months

9. Robusta (AAA)

10. • Semi-tall variety, grown mostly in Tamil Nadu and some parts of Karnataka for
table purpose
• It is a high yielding and produces bunch of large size
• Fruit is very sweet with a good aroma
• Bunch weighs about 25-30 kg
• Requires propping
• Fruit has a poor keeping quality leading to a quick breakdown of pulp after
ripening, hence not suited for long distance transportation
• Robusta is highly susceptible to Sigatoka leaf spot disease in humid tropics.
Robusta (AAA)

11. Rasthali (Silk AAB)

12. Rasthali (Silk AAB)
• It is a medium tall variety commercially grown in Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar
• Highly prized cultivar for table purpose
• Fruit is very tasty with a good aroma
• Longer crop duration, severe susceptibility to Fusarium wilt,
requirement of bunch cover to protect fruits from sun cracking

13. Poovan (Mysore AAB)

14. • It is a leading commercial cultivar grown throughout the country
• It is generally cultivated as a perennial crop
• Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of Poovan cultivar
• Poovan is also commercially cultivated for leaf industry throughout Tamil Nadu
and in certain parts of Kerala
• Medium sized bunch, closely packed fruits, good keeping quality and resistant to
fruit cracking
• But it is highly susceptible to Banana Bract Mosaic Viral (BBMV) disease and
Banana Streak Virus, (BSV), which cause considerable reduction in yield
Poovan (Mysore AAB)

15. Nendran (AAB)

16. Nendran (AAB)
• It is a popular variety in Kerala
• Fruit used for processing
• Bunch has 5-6 hands weighing about 12-15 kg
• Fruits have a distinct neck with thick green skin turning yellow
on ripening
• Fruits remain as starchy even on ripening
• Nendran is highly susceptible to Banana Bract Mosaic Virus
(BBMV), nematodes and borers.

17. Red Banana (AAA)

18. Red Banana (AAA)
• Red banana is the most relished and highly prized variety in Kerala
and Tamil Nadu
• Its commercial cultivation is prominent in Kanyakumari and
Tirunelveli
• It is a robust plant with bunches weighing 20-30 kg
• Fruits are sweet, orange yellow coloured and with a pleasant aroma
• Highly susceptible to bunchy top, fusarium wilt and nematodes

19. Virupakshi (AAB)

20. Virupakshi (AAB)
• It is an elite variety in South India especially grown for table purpose in Palani and
Shevroy hills of Tamil Nadu under perennial cultivation
• It is a vigorous and hardy variety
• Fruits show a typical curvature, possess a pleasant aroma and delightful taste
• Virupakshi has the characteristic flavour only when they are cultivated in higher
elevation
• In the mixed cultivation it is well suited as a shade plant for young coffee
• It has many ecotypes like 'Sirumalai' (grown on hills), 'Vannan', 'Kali' etc.
• Well suited for cultivation in plains

21. Monthan (ABB)

22. Monthan (ABB)
• It is a widely cultivated variety for processing
• Monthan is a tall and robust plant bearing bunches of 18-20 kg after 12
months
• Pseudostem core is a highly relished vegetable with many medicinal
properties
• Monthan is also cultivated for production of leaves in Trichy and Tanjore
• It has many desirable qualities like immunity to Banana Bunchy Top Virus
(BBTV) diseases, salt tolerance and normal bunch mass even under
marginal condition, but it is highly susceptible to Fusarium wilt disease.

23. Karpuravalli (ABB)

24. Karpuravalli (ABB)
• It is a popular variety grown for table purpose in medium rich soils
• Its commercial cultivation is spread over in Central and Southern districts of Tamil
Nadu and Kerala
• In Bihar, cultivation is in patches under the name 'Kanthali'
• It is sweetest among Indian bananas
• Karpuravalli is occasionally seeded depending on the seasonal variability
• Its ash coated golden yellow and sweet fruits have good keeping quality
• Karpuravalli is highly susceptible to wilt disease, tolerant to leaf spot disease and
well suited for drought, salt affected areas and for low input conditions

25. Propagation
Banana is propagated through suckers or whole bits of rhizomes of the parent
plant.
There are two types of suckers i) sword suckers ii) water suckers
• Sword suckers: more vigorous and produce bigger and heavier bunches in
11 months, the water suckers did in more than 15 months
• Four-month old suckers and split rhizomes weighing 2 Kg produced heavier
• Micropropagation: Due to the variation in age and size of sucker the crop is
not uniform, harvesting is prolonged and management becomes difficult.

26. Propagation
Sword suckers Water suckers
Well developed base, conical shape
with narrow shaped leaf blades
Weighting 1.5-2.0 Kg
Developed at flowering stage of the
parent material is the best planting
material
Small under size corms and broad
leaves.
If water suckers are used as planting
material this will produce small
bunches
Well developed
base
Narrow shaped leaf
blades
Small under
size corms
Broad leaves

27. Important criteria’s to select the suckers for planting
• The orchard/mother block should be disease free
• The weight of the suckers should be 1.0- 1.5 or 2 kg
• The mother plant should be heavy yielder
• Always select sword suckers for planting
• Select the suckers free from rhizome weevils
• Age of suckers: 3-4 months
• The whole or split rhizomes can also be used when suckers are not available.
• Bits of rhizomes may also be used as a planting material
• Tissue cultured plants were also used as planting material on commercial scale.

28. ▪ The pseudo-stem is cut leaving 20 cm from the corm
▪ The roots and superficial damaged portion of the corm is trimmed
▪ The corms are dipped for 5 min in carbendazim 0.1% (1g/lit) to avoid any
diseases.
▪ Pralinage is done with 30 g of Carbofuran 3G granules per sucker (Dip the corm
in slurry solution of 4 parts clay plus 5 parts water and sprinkle Carbofuran to
control nematodes).
Pairing &Prolinage (Sucker treatment)

29. Sword suckers

30. Pseudo-stem is cut leaving 20 cm from the corm

31. Dip the corm in slurry solution of 4 parts clay
plus 5 parts water

32. Dip the corm in slurry solution

33. 30 g of Carbofuran 3G granules per sucker

34. Tissue Culture - Plants

35. Main field preparation and planting
• Ploughing is done at four times using chisel plough (one time), disc plough (one time) and cultivator
(twice)
• The raised beds are formed at 60 cm width along the lateral lines
• The pits of 45 cm3 size are dig out along the raised bed at 1.8 m intervals
• The pits are filled with top soil mixed with 10 kg FYM, 250 g Neem cake, 20 g Furadon and 220 g
super phosphate.
• At the time of planting 25 g of Pseudomonas fluorescence is applied in each pit.
• Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each at 20 g per pit is applied during planting and at 5th month
after planting
• Pre emergence weedicide of Fluchloralin @ 2 lit per ha is sprayed through high volume sprayer

36. Methods of planting
Pit method
• Pit method are commonly followed
• The pit size of 60cm3 should be opened at 1.8 x 1.8m or 2 x 2m (Tall varieties)
adopting square system
• These pits are filled with top soil with 20-30 kg.
• FYM should be applied at least 15- 30 days prior to planting
• During planting each pit will be supplied with 250gm neem cake and 50 gm of
trichoderma to prevent nematode & rhizome rot problems
• Planting of suckers at the centre of pit and irrigate immediately after planting

37. Furrow method
• This is the most common method of planting. Furrows of 15-20cm deep are opened at a regular
distance and rhizomes are planted in the furrows
• Paired row planting in tissue culture plants
Tissue Culture
• Banana is also grown commercially by using tissue cultured plants, these plants required much care
throughout the growth period compare to suckers and yields about 10-20 per cent more than suckers
• In recent years the concept of HDP is being practiced, suckers are planted at closer spacing or
planting two suckers per pit by accommodating more number of plants at specified spacing to get
higher yield and reduced cost of production
• The cultivar Robusta and Dwarf Cavendish spaced at 1.5 x 1.5m accommodates 4444 plants/ha is
recommended by IIHR was recorded highest yield
Methods of planting

38. Banana planting
Wet lands
– Poovan, Rasthali, Monthan, Karpooravalli and Ney Poovan can be cultivated during
February – April. Nendran and Robusta can be cultivated during April – May
Garden lands
– Banana can be cultivated in garden lands during January – February and November –
December
Padugai lands
– In Padugai lands, the crop can be cultivated during January – February and August –
September
Hill Banana
– April – May (lower Palani hills), June – August (Sirumalai) are the suitable seasons for
cultivating hill banana.

39. System of planting
System of planting Varieties
Spacing
(m)
No. of
plants/ha
Garden land Dwarf Cavendish, Robust,
Nendran
1.5 X 1.5
1.8 X 1.8
2.0 X 2.0
4444
3086
2500
Wet land Poovan, Rasthali, Monthan, Ney-
vannan
2.1 X 2.1 2310
Padugai (Perennial) Monthan, Poovan 3.0 X 3.0 1110
Contour planting Sirumalai, Virupakshi, Hill
banana
3.6 X 3.6 772

40. 3 suckers/pit – 4800 / ha
1 sucker/ pit- 2500 /ha 3m
High density planting

41. 3- Plants /Hill
1.8 X 3.6 m (4800 pi/ha)
Paired row system
1.2x1.2x2.0m (5200 pl/ha)

42. Fertigation
• For banana, a dose of 200:300 g of NK/plant is applied throughout the
cropping period through split application and phosphorus alone is applied
as basal dose at the time of planting
• The split doses of N & K are applied once in every three days through
fertigation
• Water requirement - 25 lit per plant (normal density); 40 lit per plant (2
suckers / pit); 50 lit per pit (3 suckers/pit)

43. • Irrigate immediately after planting
• Give life irrigation after 4 days
• Subsequent irrigations are to be given once in a week
for garden land bananas and once in 10 – 15 days for
wetlands
Nearly 40 % savings in water - drip systems
• 15 lit of water/ plant/ day from planting to 4th month
• 20 lit/plant / day from 5th month to shooting
• 25 lit/plant/day from shooting till 15 days prior to
harvest
Irrigation

44. • Mulching (both organic and inorganic) – increase productivity
• Uses
✓ Conserve moisture
✓ Increase no. of feeder roots
✓ Improve nutrient and water use efficiency
✓ Suppression of weed growth
✓ Enhances yield by 30-40%
Types of Mulches
• Dead organic mulch – sugarcane trash, banana leaf trash, farm waste
• Polyethene mulch 300-400 gauge thickness (increased yield in Robusta compared to dead mulch)
• Living mulch- legumes
MULCHING

45. ➢ Intercrops can be easily raises in banana plantations at the early stages of
growth. It is a subsistence farming or cash economy in banana culture.
➢ Radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, chilli, brinjal, colocasia, yam,
dioscorea, bhendi, marigold and tube rose are grown as intercrops. Mixed
cropping with arecanut and coconut is a common practice in south India.
Intercropping

46. PGR application
• Spraying of NAA at 100 ppm after 5 and 7 months of planting markedly
increases fruit size and yield
• Spraying of 2-4 D @ 20ppm increased the quality of fruits
• It is poured in the growing apex, than bunch will have more of female
flowers/fingers.
• Application of GA at 50mg/L resulted in maximum yield and required less
number of days for fruit maturity in Giant Governor Banana

48. • Suckers are produced from the rhizome of banana. The number of suckers produced
per clump varies depending on cultivar, soil fertility, environment etc. Removal of
unwanted suckers is one of the most critical operations in banana cultivation and
known as desuckering.
• Removal of unwanted suckers: reducing internal competition with mother plant.
• Desuckering should be done regularly until shooting. However in areas where ratoon
is also taken for the second crop
• Follower should be opposite to the inflorescence. It should not be far apart from the
main plant. Desuckering is done at 3 times in a year
De-suckering

49. De-suckering

50. De-suckering

51. • Earthing up should be given during rainy season to provide drainage and
to avoid waterlogging at the base.
• During summer and winter season, the plants should be in furrow and on
the ridge during the rainy season.
• Earthing up should be done at 3-4 months after planting i.e. raising the
soil level around the base of the plant by 10-12”.
• It is advised to prepare a raised bed and keep the drip line on bed 2-3”
away from the plant. It also helps to protect plants from wind damage
and production losses to some extent.
Earthing up

52. • The lodging of banana plants particularly at matured stages results in heavy
loss.
• The falling of the pseudostem may occur due to strong wind, rhizome rot,
burrowing nematode or tall cultivar. So, bunch propping or bunch support is
necessary.
• Propping can be done with bamboo or wooden poles.
Propping

53. • Removal of male buds helps fruit development and increases bunch
weight.
• Male buds are removed from the last 1-2 small hands with a clean cut
keeping a single finger in the last hand.
Removal of male buds (De-navelling)

54. • Bagging is cultural technique used by planters of Africa
• The main purposes are the protection of bunches against cold, sun
scorching, against the attack of thrips and scarring beetle
• It also improves certain visual qualities of the fruits. Transparent
polyethylene sleeves with 2 - 4 % ventilation
• Bunch covering with dry leaves is a common practice in India,
Which, however may be the source of inoculam for post-harvest
diseases
• The right stage of bunch covering is when the last hand has
opened and the male bud has to be removed at that time
Bunch covering

56. Bunch covering

57. De leafing

58. Mattacking
After harvesting, the pseudostem should be cut leaving a
stump of about 60 cm height. This practice is called
‘mattacking’
The food material stored in the left out stump continues to
nourish the daughter sucker till it withers and dries up

59. Physiological disorders

60. • Its a serious disorder in Nendran
• The plant shows poor growth, delayed shooting, bunch with few fingers and
unfilled fingers – NAA 250 ppm
Neer vazhai

61. • Poovan is mostly affected.
• Enlarged ovules and immature dark green frutis
• Spray 2,4 – D at the rate of 25 ppm within 20 days after opening of last hand
(1 g/40 lit/200 bunches) or 1.2 g of Sodium salt of 2,4 – D dissolved in 40 lit of water
for 200 bunches.
Kotta vazhai

62. Kotta vazhai

63. Choke throat
• This disorder results from low temperature
• The low temperature at the time of flowering effects the bunch formation
• The maturity time of bunch is extended up to 5-6 months than 3.5-4
months
• This order is called choke throat because in the inflorescence distal part
comes out but the basal part becomes tapered at the throat
• The management of choke throat includes the use of varieties that tolerate
low temperature and the use of eucalyptus as a shelter belt check the effect
of cold wind

64. Chilling injury
• The chilling of banana occurs or results when the pre-or post-harvest temperature
falls below 14oC
• The symptoms include uneven ripening, watery dark patches on skin, dull yellow to
smoky yellow color of the ripening fingers
• Brown streaks are also observed on the vascular bundle of the sub epidermal layer
• These are resulting from enzymatic oxidation of dihydroxy phenyl alanine
• Avoid to store the fruits at temperature below 13 o C
• This disorder can be easily circumvented in Mussa cultivars by storing at a
temperature above threshold level

65. Peel splitting
• In this disorder the peel of the fruit is splitted into bisects and consequently
the pulp is exposed as the cracks widens
• Provide ventilation and temperature of 18o C to the fruits for ripening
• Use ethylene (1ml/L) for the ripening of fruits for 24-48 hours at on
temperature of 14-18 oC and 90-95% relative humidity
• Use carton for the packing of the fruit bunches

66. Fruit maturity
• Under favorable conditions, banana starts flowering in 9-12 months and
fruits matures in about 4-5 months depending upon varieties, climate etc.
• Maturity of the fruit is assessed by change of peel color from dark green
to pale green, disappearance of angularity, finger length and diameter.
• Banana are harvested at 3/4th maturity stage for distant markets or for chips
making purpose while, for local markets are harvested at full maturity

67. The following are the indications of maturity of
banana
• Changing of fruit colour from green to light green
• The floral ends of fruits are shed with slight hand touch at apices
• Fruit become plumpy and angles are filled & disappear
• One or two fruits ripe at the basal end (yellow colour)
• Starch content of the fruit (22-25%)
• The bunches are to be harvested by leaving 2 ft of peduncle on the bunch

68. • Fruits are harvested when the ridges on the surface of the skin change from
angular to round (after attaining ¾th maturity)
• Dwarf banana cultivars are ready to harvest within 11-14 months after
planting.
• While tall cultivars take about 14-16 months to harvest
• A bunch usually takes 90-120 days to mature after shooting(flowering),
depending on the climate and cultural practices
Harvesting

69. Yield
• The fruit bunches are harvested when the angularity of fruits
disappears
Duration Bunch weight
Cavendish 12months 25 to 30kg
Ney poovan 11 months 12 kg
Rasthali 13 months 12 kg

70. Post harvest management
• For fruit ripening, the fruit bunches are sprayed with ethrel 5000 ppm (5ml/lit) with sodium
hydroxide pellets
• Banana can be stored at about 13 0C with the Relative Humidity of 85-95 per cent for 3 weeks
and is ripened in a week at 16.5-210 C. The fruits should not be stored / shifted under
refrigerated condition
• Shrink film wrapping or Waxol (12 per cent) treatment can extend shelf life up to 3 weeks
• Bananas are not usually allowed to ripen on the tree; Smoking done with straw, leaves & cow
dung in a closed chamber for 18-24 hours in summer and 48 hours in winter and later shifted
to ventilated room for uniform ripening
• The exogenous application of 100 ppm ethylene gas in an enclosed chamber for 24 hrs for
will produce uniform colour and ripening

71. Pests
Rhizome weevil
• Nendran is highly susceptible, damaged corms show feeding tunnels filled with mass of rotten
tissues
• Application of Furadan 3G @ 20 gms or Phorate 10G @ 12 gms or Neem cake @ 1/2 Kg. per pit at
planting.
Banana aphid
• Vector of the virus disease bunchy top
• Fruit and leaf scarring beetle
• The beetle feeds on young leaves and skin of young fruits, occurance is maximum in rainy season
• Spray Dimethoate (75ml/100lit) or Diazinon (1.5ml/lit) or Acephate (1.3g/lit) on infested plants and
suckers

72. Diseases
Panama wilt
• Fusarium oxysporium F. sp cubens, It is the
most severe and important disease of banana.
Rasthali is highly susceptible cultivar
• It is serious in poorly drained soil.
• Resistant varieties are Robusta & Dwarf
Cavendish
• Application of 2 per cent of Carbendazim as
injection of Carbendazim 50 ml capsule
application

73. Diseases
Leaf spot/Sigatoka
• It is a fungal disease, initially, presence of
light yellowish spots on the leaves under
sever condition formation of brown spots
and lator dies, turning light grey surrounded
by a brown ring
• The Gros Michel and Cavendish group are
all (AAA ) highly susceptible to sigatoka,
While, all ABB clones are resistant
• Spray Bordeaux mixture 1 per cent +
linseed oil 2 %
• Spray Copper oxychloride or Zineb with
gas oil or mobile oil or white oil

74. Diseases
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV)
• Transmitted by aphid vector, Pentalonia nigronervosa
• The dwarf banana cultivars are very Susceptible
• The leaves are bunched together like a rosette at the top, the margins are wavy and
slightly rolled upward
• Dark green streaks of the lamina or midrib. The plants are stunted and do not produce
bunch of commercial value
• Some of the other diseases are Pseudostem heart rot, Diamond spot, Anthracnose, Cigar
end tip rot, Crown rot, Bacterial soft rot, Bacterial wilt or moko disease, banana streak
virus, banana bract mosoic virus etc., causing damage to banana plants
• The diseased trees should be injected with 4 ml of Fernoxone solution(50g in 400 ml of
water)

75. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV)

76. Ripening
• By exposure to Ethylene gas (1000 ppm for 24 hr) in sealed banana
ripening rooms
• Storage temperature13°C@ 85-95%
• To delay ripening in banana – skin coating with waxol (12% wax
emulsion).

77. Thank You