Director, Open and Distance Learning Dr. V. Valluvaparidasan Director, Open and Distance Learning TNAU, Coimbatore

1. Title Cultural Practices under INM in Banana 2. Date 25.03.2011 3. Objective To learn about the cultural practices carried out in Banana Crop 4. Target Group Farmers / Extension Workers / Educators / Students 5. Description RLO on Cultural Practices

6. Duration 5 – 10 minutes 7. Co-Authors P. Santhy 8. Abstract The cultural practices that are followed for a banana crop includes tillage practices, land preparation, weed management, intercropping which helps ultimately to maintain soil fertility and higher yield of the crop

9. Keywords Tillage, Intercropping, Weeding 10. Complexity Simple 11. Language English

CULTURAL PRACTICES UNDER INM IN BANANA

Major Cultural Practices in Banana Tillage practices Intercropping Weed management

Tillage Practices Wet lands : No preparatory cultivation is needed Garden land : 2 – 4 ploughings required Padugai : One deep spade digging Hill Banana : Cleaning the jungle and construction of contour stone walls before planting is required

Green Manuring Growing green manure crops viz., Daincha Cowpea Sunhemp and ploughing them into the field 2-4 times ploughing and leveling FYM 50 t/ha before last ploughing

Spacing S. No System of Planting Planting Distance Plant population /ha 1. Dwarf Cavendish 1.5 x 1.5 4440 2. Robusta and Nendran 1.8 x 1.8 3080 3. Rasthali, Poovan, Karpooravalli, Monthan 2.1 x 2.1 2260 4. Paired row 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.0 5200 5. 2-Suckers /hill 1.8 x 3.6 3200 6. 3-Suckers/hill 4800 Source: TNAU Agritech portal-2008

Digging Pits S. No Land type Pits 1. Wetland Suckers are planted at ground level 2. Garden land, Padugai and Hill Banana Dig pits of 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm size.  Fill pits with topsoil +10 kg of FYM + 250 g of Neem cake

High density planting 3 suckers /pit at a spacing of 1.8 x 3.6m (4600 plants/ha) for Cavendish varieties 2 m x 3 m for Nendran (5000 plants/ha).

planting (2.0 x 2.0 m) 3 suckers/pit (3.6 x 3.6 m) 4 suckers/pit (1.8 x 3.6 m)

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

Avoid growing cucurbitaceous vegetables Intercropping Vegetables like beetroot, sweet potato, Cabbage, and Coconut can be grown as intercrops. Avoid growing cucurbitaceous vegetables Banana+Beetroot Banana + Sweet potato

Banana + Coconut Banana + Cabbage

Weed Management Spading is commonly used and normally four spadings a year are effective in controlling weeds IWM includes Cover crops Judicious use of herbicides Intercropping Hand weeding based on need

Cultural control - Double cropping of cowpea is equally effective in suppressing the weed growth. Chemical control -Pre-emergence application of Diuron (1kg a.i./ha) or Glyphosate (2 kg a.i./ha) is effective

Summary In this RLO THE CULTURAL PRACTISES THAT COULD enhance soil fertility and enhance the yield are described. By learning this, a farmer can practise good intercropping practises, Integrated weed management and best tillage practise that could be suitable for his land type.

Assessment Choose the correct answer 1. Sucker treatment to avoiding of _______ incidents a). Diseases b). Soil micropes c). Pest 2. Soil solarization is reduced _________ and __________ a). Weeds & pests b). Soil micropes c). Organic Contents

3. Propping is avoidance of __________ a). Pests Diseases b). Multicropping c). Intercropping 4. IWM directly enhanced in ___________ a). Soil Structures b). Pests & Diseases c). Reduced Herbicides incidence 5. The practices of intercropping for _____ a). additional income b). Reduced manuring c). Improve soil microps