Abstract:
Objective: Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the most important fruits
for food security and income. It fruits all year round thus
providing a continuous supply of food. Bananas require
nutrients so as to give high yields and good quality fruits. They
require nutrients high in Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K). K is
important for promoting early shooting and reduces the amount
of time the fruit takes to mature while improving size of the
fingers and quality. Therefore, soil fertility must be maintained
by continuously replenishing the soil with nutrients in form of
either organic or inorganic nutrients. Nitrogen deficiency is
shown by small and pale green leaves. Potassium deficiency is
shown by the leaves turning brown, curling and drying up
starting with the older leaves, the midrib breaks at two thirds of
the stem. Nutrients are important in all stages of growth of
bananas. This paper reports on observed nutritional deficiency
on macropropagated banana seedlings.
Methodology and results: Seedling production was carried out in
farmers’ field by macropropagation technology. This is mass
production of seedlings from the banana corm using sterile sawdust as the propagation medium. During transplanting of the
sprouted suckers, the soil was mixed with organic manure. After
2 weeks, the bigger, faster growing seedlings started showing
symptoms of nutrient deficiency, characterized by symptoms
similar to those of K. This was successfully rectified by adding a
fertilizer rich in K.
Application of findings: To ensure proper growth and development
of plants, banana seedlings should be provided with nutrients
having high N and K. Lack of these nutrients can lead to
reduction of leaf area, decline of photosynthesis and constrained
growth of plants. Farmers and nursery operators need to be
familiarized with symptoms associated with nutrient deficiency
and the appropriate ways of managing them.
