BANANAS

INTRODUCTION

A trial was conducted with different organic products with the Advanced Crop Care product range at the ARC-Institute for Tropical and Sub-Tropical crops (ITSC) at Burgershall Research Station. The trial was conducted on a sandy clay loam Hutton soil with relatively high soil potassium and phosphorous reserves. The layout was statistically designed with five replicates per treatment and five data plants per replicate. Yield data (bunch mass and cycle times) was recorded for three consecutive seasons (plant crop and the first two ratoons). The quality parameters such as finger lengths was also done. The root profiles at the different treatments were also investigated.

  • TREATMENTS

    Control 0: No fertiliser was applied.

    Control (ITSC): received the normal chemical fertiliser according to a soil analysis. LAN(28%N) was applied at 400-500g/mat/annum and Potassium Chloride at 400g/mat/annum.

    Advanced Crop Care: Received Agri-Balance at 20 liters(l)/ha, Agri-Zinc chelate at 5 l/Ha and Agri-Fulbor at 5 l/ha applied at planting in the planting hole. This treatment was applied through the irrigation on an annual basis around the following suckers. Agri-Boost was applied at 8l/ha as a monthly foliar spray over the first 5 months of plant or sucker development (a total of 40l/ha/annum was applied). The Advanced Crop Treatment was applied in conjuction with chicken manure at 7 kg/mat/annum.

    banana trial acc

  • RESULTS

    The yield (tons/ha/annum) was increased at the Advanced Crop Care treatment especially at the 1st ratoon. The 1st ratoon yield was significantly higher with an increase of about 20% over the control ITSC treatment. The cycle time was also slightly decreased at the Advanced Crop Treatment (Data not shown).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

A trial by the ARC- Institute for Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops (ITSC) at the Burgershall Research Station showed that the Advanced Crop Care treatment increased the Banana yield by upto at least 13 tons/ha/annum for the first ratoon if applied from planting. The cycle time can also be reduced. A preliminary root study indicated that the roots at the Advanced Crop Care treatment were healthier and denser with more fine root hairs. This could explain the better performance of the plants at the Advanced Crop Care treatment. The cost of the whole Advanced Crop Care treatment was about R 7000-8000/ha.

Opsomming en aanbeveling

A proef met organiesebemesting is by die LNR-ITSG Burgershall proefplaas op piesangs gedoen. Die is deur Mev. Connie Fraser uitgevoer. Die proef resultate van die plantoes en die eerste twee spruitoeste het getoon dat die Advanced Crop Care behandeling n' betekenisvolle verhoging van ongeveer 13 ton/ha bemarkbare vrugte vir die eerste spruitoes meegebring het. Die sikluslengte vanaf plant tot die oes van die eerste spruit oes is ook verminder. n Wortel studie het ook getoon dat die wortels beter was by die behandeling. Die koste van die Advanced Crop Care behandeling was ongeveer 70008-000/ha/jaar onder die proef toestande.

  • Control treament- fewer and thinner roots

    ROOT STUDY 1

    Control treament- fewer and thinner roots.

  • ROOT STUDY 2

    Advanced crop care treatment-denser and thicker roots.

ZINC AND FULBOR TREATMENT

EFFECT OF SOIL APPLICATIONS OF AGRI-ZINC AND FULBOR ON THE LEAF LEVELS OF BANANAS IN THE LEVUBU AREA

  • Banana plants absorb micronutrients showing low leaf levels such as boron and especially zinc poorly.

  • Before the 2020 season, other products had little success in increasing the B and Zn levels, as shown in the graphs below.

  • However, with subsequent soil applications via the irrigation system with Agri-Zinc (at 5L/ha in 2020 and 2021) and Fulbor (at 10L/ha in 2020), there has been an improved uptake, especially the boron.

  • The results are the averages of 5 blocks selected randomly at Furstenberg Farm and banana blocks at Levubu, Limpopo province of South Africa.

  • Under these conditions, 1 L/ha Agri-Zinc increased the leaf levels by about 1 mg/kg and 1 L/ha Fulbor by approximately 2 mg/kg on average.

  • The drop in leaf boron after spiking in the 2021 season could be due to boron not being very mobile in plants and, therefore, not readily translocated from the mother to daughter plants. Therefore, Fulbor will probably have to be applied continually to maintain optimal levels.

Richard Abercrombie (Pr.Nat. Sci) Reg. No 400182/04