Banana fertilization

Introduction

Bananas (Musa Spp.) are monocotyledonous herbacious plants propagated vegetatively. When bunches mature the plant dies down and other shoots grow from the corm; these are referred to as the ratoon crop. Banana fruits (Fingers) are consumed extensively due to their nutritional and health giving properties. In kenya bananas are grown in Eastern, Central and Western provinces. Farmers rarely use inorganic fertilizers in banana orchards probably due to their high costs. For a long period bananas have been regarded as a backyard crop. However, with commercialization there is need to evaluate the influence of inorganic fertilizers on yield and post harvest quality attributes. The high demand for planting materials has necessitated the use of tissue culture which is a micro propagation technique.

Objectives

To investigate the effect of inorganic fertilizers on yield of tissue culture bananas. To establish the effect of micro nutrients on yield of tissue culture bananas. To document the impact of inorganic fertilizers on post harvest quality attributes . To investigate the influence of micro nutrients on post harvest quality attributes.

New Terminologies

• Tissue culture - Its a micro propagation technique using plant tissues
• Ratoon - Its a crop that grows after the main crop.
• Fingers - These are individual banana fruits
• Hands - Its a group of fingers joined together on a common axis.
• Bunches - Its a group of hands arranged heloidically on a central axis called the peduncle.

About the Course

The course is structured in such a way that there is an introduction, details of the course, summary and a number of questions the student is supposed to attempt.

Challenges during study

1. Frequent power failure.
2. Lack of adequate funds confounded by the delay in releasing of the available funds.
3. Loss of samples from the field through theft.
4. In availability of transport when needed at short notice.