AFTERCARE OPERATIONS

There are many things to do. They are called aftercare practices

4. What are they?

Soil cover

Adequate water

Fertilization

Bush Mnagenent

Bunch covering

Bract removing

Intercropping

SOIL COVER

• In the dry zone soil is frequently dried up.
• Therefore you have to save water in the land by covering the land You can use paddy straw.
• Lay paddy straw 6 away from the plant as a circle
• If you can lay paddy straw in whole cultivation field, that can be better.
• This will reduce the weed growth and add organic matter to the soil.
• It will alos ensure proper drainage.

WATERING

• Water is frequently use by the plant for their growth and production of foods.
• Therefore we have to supply water to fill their needs
• Avoid supplying excess water as well as avoid no water supply. That is we called adequate water

• Irrigation through drains

• If you have a cannel near the field you can practice cannel irrigation through pumps or without pumps.
• You can pump water and allow to flow over the field.

• If you have drains in the field you can fill water in to the drains. Then plants get water from it.

• In the first month you should supply water once a day in afternoon.
• After 1 month to 3 months use two days interval.
• 3 months to 6 months 3-4 days interval.
• 6 months to 12 months 5 days interval.

FERTILIZATION

• You can use chemical fertilizers or organic fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers

• Chemical fertilizers contain chemicals , Urea, Triple super phosphate(TSP), Murate of Potash (MOP) are the 3 components
• Fertilizer mixtures vary according to the climatic zone.

	Dry zone	Intermediate zone	Wet zone
Urea	60 g	60 g	55 g
T.S.P	40 g	40 g	75 g
M.O.P	125 g	125 g	95 g

• After first month of cultivating, add the mixture

1/ away from the plant as a circle.

• After first month of cultivating, add the mixture

1/ away from the plant as a circle.

• After 3 months of cultivating , add the mixture

2/ away from the plant as a circle.

• After 3 months to 12 months, add the mixture

2/ away from the plant as a circle within two months interval.

Organic fertilizers

• Organic fertilizers are prepared by natural components.
• They are compost, cow dung, poultry manure or goat manure.
• You can prepare compost by your self as mentioned earlier.
• You should apply 5Kg for one bush in 3 months intervals

• Yes, there are so many
• It is a low cost method. You can supply those by natural components
• No harm to the environment
• You can protect the water content in your soil
• Activity of soil organism is increased. Then your soil become more fertile
• The roots of the plant distribute easily
• There are high demand for products getting by organic farming
• Organic farming means growing of plants using organic fertilizers
• No harm to the people

• To ensure proper growth and getting high yield.

• Before fertilizing you should practice weeding and wet the soil.

BUSH MANAGEMENT

• If there are large numbers of plants around the mother plant you can’t get high yield, due to lack of nutrients.
• You should destroy all suckers emerge until 4 months.
• After 4 months, you can maintain one sward sucker in the direction of sunlight.
• When fruiting, you can maintain another healthy sward sucker in the direction of sunlight.
• After 7-8 months from cultivating you can see fruiting of plants.

• If there are large numbers of plants around the mother plant you can’t get high yield, due to lack of nutrients.
• You should destroy all suckers emerge until 4 months.
• After 4 months, you can maintain one sward sucker in the direction of sunlight.
• When fruiting, you can maintain another healthy sward sucker in the direction of sunlight.
• After 7-8 months from cultivating you can see fruiting of plants.

BRACT REMOVING

• Banana flower is an inflorescence.That means a bunch of flower. There are rows of flower and they are covered with bract.
• In certain time bract is not opened for fertile
• Then you have to remove the bract after opening the bunch completely.
• The bract should be removed 15 cm below from the last hand.
• You also have to remove 1st hand of the bunch.
• Then you can ensure proper growth of other hands.

BUNCH COVERING

• When 1st hand appears you have to cover the bunch using 2/ wide blue color polythene bags with holes.

• You can increase bunch weight from 18%-23% by covering.
• Avoid thrips damage. Then there are not patches on the fruits.
• Tied the bag 6// above from the 1st bunch.

INTERCROPPING

Actually yes, it is called as intercropping

INTERCROPPING