SPIC Balaraman 98654 48695 BANANA TISSUE CULTURE Tissue Culture Banana (TC) is proved to give profit over

er the conventional Banana. TC Banana is gaining importance for its high yielding characters. Characters of SPIC Tissue Culture Banana More yield, More profit Disease free & Healthy Uniform Growth Available throughout the year

Climate Banana a humid tropical plant, comes up well in regions with a temperature range of 10C to 40C. Low temperatures(less than 10C) are unsuitable since they lead to a condition called Choke or impended inflorescence and bunch development. Wind velocity more than 80km causing harms to plantations. Soil Banana grows well in all types of soil with good drainage. Growth will be poor in compact ill-drained soil, drained soil, deficient in nutrients and are also unresponsive to fertilizers. As regards pH, banana can grow well even under slightly alkaline soils and in fact such soils are found preferable for avoiding the wilt disease, which is known to be severe in acid soil. Soil exceeding 8.0 are not suitable. A pH range of 6.5 8 is suitable for banana cultivation. The minimum soil depth necessary is about one meter.

Planting Season The season depends on the area where Banana is to be cultivated. Generally, harvesting during windy season is not advised, so the planting may be done to avoid the windy season at harvest. Planting of tissue culture banana can be done throughout the year except when the temperature is too low or too high. Varieties Robusta, Grandnaine, Poovan, Nendran and Red

Variety Robusta/Grandnaine Poovan & Red Banana Nendran

PLANTING

Spacing 6 ft x 6 ft / 6 ft x 5 ft 7 ft x 7 ft 6 ft x 6 ft / 7ft x 7 ft

Number Of Plants Per Acre 1234 / 1481 907 1234 / 907

Make pits of 1 x 1 x 1 ft with a spacing given above depending on the variety. Mix equal proportion of Garden soil and well decomposed Farm Yard Manure (FYM). Add 300gm Gypsum and 20gm Furadon and 200gm of neemcake. Cut open the polybag and remove plant carefully with the ball of earth. Place the plant in the center of the pit and good anchorage of roots in the soil to be done after planting. The main difference between a conventional sucker and a Tissue culture banana is the number of roots. At any given point of time / stage of crop there will be minimum of 2 times more number of roots in TC banana. Hence proper cares should be taken not to damage any root. Spacing tips to nature TC banana to reap bumper yield 1. Plant in the evening time in the moist soil to avoid initial mortality. 2. Apply 0.1% Emisan or 0.1% Bagallol or Bleaching powder 10gm/litre of water after planting. Repeat this on 3rd & 5th month after planting. 3. Apply Carbofuron 20gm at the time of planting, 30gm each in 3rd & 5th month after planting. 4. Apply fertilizer in 6 splits as given in the table.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION The total requirement of chemical fertilizers / plant is calculated and can be followed as per the tabulation given below. Recommended dosage: N 200 : 60 P : K 350gm/plant

Fertilizers 45th day 90th day 125th day 150th day 180th day Urea in gms DAP in gms MOP in gms
FERTIGATION:

25 100 25

50 0 25

100 0 125

100 0 125

100 0 100

After flowering 0 100

Total 375 100 500

N: P: K (Gm/Plant)

170: 45: 185

Period 1-90 days

91-150 days

151-300 days

Fertilizer 19: 19: 19 192 13: 0: 46 Urea 0: 52: 34 13: 0: 46 Urea 13: 0: 46 Urea

Kg/Acre 2.130 93 70 59 82.5 117.5 282.5 150

Kg/Day/Avre 2.130 1.033 0.777 0.983 1.376 1.958 1.884 1.000

Azospirillium, a biofertilizer can be applied mixing with 25kg sand and 25kg FYM @ 6kg/ acre viz., 2kg each immediately after planting, 3rd & 5th month after planting. Never mix biofertilizers with chemical fertilizers. Fertilizers are to be applied 1 away from the main stem by making small rings around the plants.

GROWTH PROMOTER APPLICATION Spraying SPIC Cytozyme on 90th day, 150th & 210th day after planting 250ml in 250 Liters of water for getting uniform growth and higher yield. Alternately SPIC cytozyme granules can be applied @ 10gm/plant on 3rd & 5th month after planting. OTHER CULTURAL PRACTICES Weed Management: Weed can be removed using spade or using the recommended weedicides viz., Diuron 1.2 kg per acre in 500 liters water for initial 1 to 2 months. Spray Post emergence weedicide glyphosate @ 8 ml / liter of water when the weeds are at 2;3 height stage. Care should be taken not to spray on banana leaves. Irrigate the field regularly depending on the soil moisture and climate conditions. Removal of side suckers: From 3rd month after planting, remove side sucker once a month without damaging conditions. Remove the dried leaves periodically. Do not cut green leaves. Earthing up during 3rd and 7th month after planting. Propping: Supporting the plants can be done using suitable propping materials. Intercrops: Onion, Soyabean, Cowpea can be grown as intercrop which will give an additional income. Also these intercrops suppress the weed growth. MAJOR PESTS DISEASES OF BANANA SI.NO I Pest & Disease Name PEST: Symptoms Acts as a vector of bunchy top Control Measures Spray Spic Neemgold (or)

1.Aphids

2. Nematode

II

DISEASES 1.Leaf spot disease 2. Wilt disease

virus. It sucks the sap by monocrotophos @ 500ml/ acre congregating under the lower leaf base of pseudostem or crown of the plant. The infected leaves dry up quickly and fall from the plant The infected plant shows stunted Apply Carbofuron 3g @ 20 gm 0 growth, having small leaves & plant at the time of planting, 30 galled roots, bunch choking and gm each on 3rd & 5th after poor bunch qualities. In sever cases planting the infected plants topple easily Appears Brown colour spindle (eye SPIC Wanis @ 500 ml/ acre or shaped) spots & drying of leaves. Spray Carbendazim @ 250 gm Leaf colour change to yellow and leaves bends downward. Central leaves will be remaining green Fill 40 mg of Carbendazim in a capsule & make a hole in 45 angle in the Rhizome. Keep the capsule inside the hole, close it with clay soil.

VIRUS DISEASES 1.Bunchy Top III Intermittent dark green streaks along the veins, midrib, Leaf size gets reduced and shrinked, resetting of reduced leaves at the top. Leaves are brittle , infection after bunch emergence reduces bunch size. Remove the infected plant and burn. Disease spread by Aphid. So avoid inter crops in which Aphid population and virus symptom are usually more. (eg: Cucurbitaceae family, Bhendi & Tomato), Prophylactic spray of Neem gold 500ml or Dimethoate 250ml/acre

2. Other Mosaic diseases

Tissue Culture (TC) plants are free from disease at delivery. Insecticides and Fungicides/bactericides have to be necessarily used to control pest & diseases. TC plants are good starter and have the potential to perform. Hence it is important to adopt good package of practices to reap and defined benefit.

HARVEST: Harvest can be done at 100 105 days from the full opening of the bunch. YEILD: Robusta/Grandnine Red Banana 35 45 t/acre 25 30 t/acre

Nendran Poovan

18 20 t/acre 20 25 t/acre

Yeild obtained under right spacing with correct package of practices. Disclaimer Tissue culture Banana plants are disease free at the time of supply. However they are not resistant to pest and diseases. The yield level and character of the plants vary with cultivation methods, climate, soil, water available, pest, disease, weeds, and other environmental factors. Since cultivation of tissue culture Banana plants are beyond our control, company is not responsible for the loss or performance of the plant in the field. For Furter Details contact: SPIC AGRO BIOTECH CENTER Chithiraichavadi, Pooluvapatti (Post), Siruvani Road, Coimbatore: 641 101. Cell: 944266 31086, Phone: 0422-2650192/ 2650023/ 2650216 Fax: 0422-2650296, E-mail: spicabc@spic.co.in