2.  Botanical Name: Musa paradisiaca, Musa cavendish
 Family: Musaceae
 Genus: Musa
 Origin: Mountainous regions of Assam, Burma, Thailand
and Indochina.
 Chromosome No.: 2n= 33
 Geographical Indication: Jalgaon District in Maharashtra.

3. Important fruit crop next to mango fruit crop
Occupies an area of 45400 ha.
In Maharashtra, Jalgaon district leads in banana
cultivation occupying about 34900 ha of area.
Other banana growing districts are Prabhani, Thane,
Dhule, Nanded And Aurangabad.
Maharashtra leads in per ha production producing
about 28.7 tons/ha as against the national average
production 13.8 tons/ha.
In Jalgaon , Avg. production per ha is about 40 tons/ha.
One of the important energy producing fruits and is a
good source of minerals and vitamins.

4. 1. Soil :
Fertility of soil is very important as banana is a gross feeder.
The root system of banana is lateral and goes to a depth of 1 m.
Can’t tolerate water stagnation
Soil should be ½ to 1 m in depth, rich, well drained, fertile, free working,
moisture retention containing plenty of organic matter. Optimum pH should be 6-8
The selected site should be protected from storms and winds.
2. climate:
 Banana is tropical crop and requires warm humid and rainy climate.
 Optimum temperature ranges is 130C -140C with relative humidity
 Basrai variety tolerates dry and warm climate and hence is widely
grown in Jalgaon and other drier countries.
 Heavy storms, frost, low temperature below 100C or extremely high
temperature are detrimental to plant growth and kills the banana plant.

5. 1.
1.Basrai :
 Widely planted variety in Maharashtra
 Very high yielding variety.
 Avg. production in Jalgaon district is 50 tons/ha.
 A leading variety of dry region.
 Resistant to panama disease.
 Susceptible to bunchy top disease.
 Very poor keeping quality.
 Dwarf variety growing up to height 1.5 to2.0 m in height.
 Avg. bunch weight is about 15 kg containing about 110-130 fruits

6. 2. Harichal( Bombay Green):
 Fruit colour is green and hence called as Harichal.
 Tall variety growing to a height of 3-3.5m.
 The bunch weight is 25-30 kg containing about 160 fruits
 Fruit is similar to as Basrai variety but skin color is greenish when ripe.
3.Lal velchi:
 Tall variety
 Compact bunch.
 Thick rind
 Strong flavor
 Medium sized fruits bunch wt. 20 kg
 Color of pseudo stem, petiole, midrib, and fruit is purplish red,
 Long duration variety (in Poovan-Tamil Nadu)

7. 4. Safed velchi :
 Grown as intercrop in coconut and Arecanut.
 Small fruits,
 Sweet in taste cultivated in Thane.
 Reddish petiole region,
 Thin rib, white firm and sweet flesh.
5. Ardhapuri:
 A mutant of Basrai
 Taller than Basrai bigger fruit with yellow skin,
 Soft pulp, bunch weight 20 kg.
 Late variety by 20-30 days.

8. 6.Shrimati:
 Grown in Jalgaon district
 Possible selection of Basrai.
7.Rajeli:
 Nendran (Kerala).
 This cultivar is known as plantain in the
parts of the world.
8.Grand nain (G-9):
 High yielder
 Export quality
 Can be grown in Marathwada and western Maharashtra.

9. 1. Planting Material:
 About 70% of the farmers are using suckers as planting material
while the rest 30% of the farmers are using tissue culture seedlings
 Sword suckers with well developed rhizome, conical or spherical in shape
having actively growing conical bud and weighing approximately 450-700 g are
commonly used as propagating material.
 In-vitro clonal propagation i.e. Tissue culture plants are recommended for
planting. They are healthy, disease free, uniform in growth and early yielding.
2. Treatment of planting material:
 The roots and base of the planting material may be removed. The suckers are
dipped in a solution of 0.5 % monocrotophos and bavistin (0.1%) before
planting.

10. 3. Planting season:
 In Maharashtra, for Kharif season planting is done in July-July, but to
avoid the effect of low temperatures at the time of emergence of
inflorescence, February planting is advocated.
 In Jalgaon District October planting is also done at some
places to take off season crop which is also called “Kande Bag”.
4. Planting Method:
The land should be ploughed, harrowed and leveled.
a) Pit Method:
o Pits of ½ X ½ X ½ m3 are dug.
o This method is laborious and expensive
o No earthing up is required, planting is done automatically at
deeper depth.
o If soils are deep, no necessity to take pits.

11. b) Furrow Method:
o Most common method of planting.
o Furrows of 15-20 cm depth are opened with the help of
ridges at regular distance and rhizomes are planted in
furrow.
o In such planting earthing up is required to be done if
ratoon crop is to be taken slightly deeper furrows are
opened.
5.Planting distance:
Varies upon variety, climate, yield and quality of produce.
Tall and vigorous
growing varieties
Lal velchi, Harichal 3 X 3 m
Medium growing
varieties
Basrai 1.25 X 1.25m

12.  Banana is a water loving plant and is required to be irrigated
frequently immediately after planting orchard is flooded
with water.
 The interval of irrigation will depend upon the season, soil
type and location.
 During monsoon no irrigation is given expect in long break.
 In summer months it is required to be irrigated more
frequently.
 In Poona, Basrai variety requires about 40-45
irrigation/year. While in Jalgaon condition the same variety
crop requires 80-90 irrigation/year.
 The number of irrigation can be reduced by checking the
losses of water.
 Drip irrigation is more economical for irrigating the banana
fruit crop.

13. Heavy feeder response well to manuring.
Makes excellent growth if plenty of organic
matter is supplied
To have good bunch all the manuring should be
done in 4-5 months from planting.
Farmyard Manure: 100-150 Cartloads FYM or
compost/ ha is given at he time of tillage for
better production.
Recommended NPK per plant is as follows:
• N- 250 g
• P2O5- 200 g
• K2O- 250 g
P2O5 And K2O is applied at the time of planting while
nitrogen is given in three spilt doses in the 3rd ,4th
and 5th month after planting.

14. The following inter-cultural operations are recommended for
optimum productivity of the crop :
 Spraying of Glyphosate before planting @ 2 lit/ha is carried
out to keep the plantation weed free.
 Four to five weeding are to be done whenever necessary.
 Harrowing the field three to four times to keep the
soil loose.
 Earthing up should be done at 3-4 months after planting
raising the soil level around the base of the plant by 10-12”.
It is better to prepare a raised bed and keep the drip line on
bed 2-3” away from the plant.
 It also helps to protect plants from wind damage and
production losses to some extent.

15. Desuckering
• Done by cutting the pseudo stem of sucker
• Removal of surplus and unwanted suckers
from banana plant is known as Desuckering.
• Kerosene is applied to inhibited growth of suckers
Supporting or propping
• In Kokan region, supporting for tall varieties is required
to be done.
• Supporting is done by earthing up an by bamboo.
• In Jalgaon supporting is not done because of dwarf
varieties and closer spacing.

16. Removal of male buds (Debelling)
• After the completion of female flowers the removal of
male buds is a routine cultural practice in
many banana growing countries.
Protection against low temperature
• Banana is a tropical crop is affected by low temperature
below 70C.
• Due to low temperature, leaves become yellow or
green scorched, wreakers the growth of plants, delay
fruiting, inflorescence get chocked up in the throat of
plant.

17.  Under favorable conditions, banana starts flowering in 9-
12 months
 Fruits matures in 3-5 months.
 Harvested at ¼ the maturity for distant markets while for
local markets it is harvested at fruit maturity.
 The maturity sighs:
• Drying off top leaves.
• Change in color of fruits from deep green to light
green.
• Tendency of floral ends of fruits to shed with slightest
touch by hand.
• Fruit becomes plumpy and angles are filled in
completely.
• When tapped gives metallic sound.

18.  Avg. yield of Maharashtra is 28.7 ton/ha.
 Avg. yield of Basrai is 40 tons/ha.
 Most of the crops from Jalgaon area is marketed in
the North by rail Wagons.
Varieties Average yield
(tones/ha.)
Basrai, Rasthali 40-50
Shrimanti 70
Grand Naine 65
Ardhapuri , Meanyham 55
Hirsal, Safed Velchi, Red banana, Lal Velchi 45
Poovan 40-50
Monthan 30-40
Dwarf Cavendish , Robusta Champa & Chini
desi
50-60
Nendran 30-35

19. 1. Banana Stem borer:
Two species larva of insects (Cosmopolities sordidus and
Odiporus Loqicollis) feeds and make funnels inside the corn
which rots into blackened mass.
Symptoms: Leaves turn yellow, wither and the whole plant dies
Management:
• Application of 3 g of Carbofuran granules per plant.
• Clean cultivation is an important measure for its control.
2. Thrips:
 Damage young fruits
 Symptoms: Causes brown freekling at maturity and skin
becomes rough.
 Management: Covering the bunches can help to avoid this disease.

20. 3.Banana aphid :
 Vector: Pentalonia nigronervosa
 The virus causing bunchy top disease.
 Manangement:
• Application of granular insecticides at the
time of planting to the rhizome
• Spraying of rogor, melathion, metasytox
control the
insect.

21. 1.Banana Wilts (Panama):
Scientific name: Fusraium oxysporum
 A soil borne fungal disease generally enters
through roots in crop plant.
 Most serious in poorly drain soils
 Symptoms:
Yellowing of lower leaves, leaves hang around
the pseudo-stem and wither.
 Management:
 Diseased plants should be uprooted and brunt.
 Use disease free planting material and resistant cultivars.
 Use quicklime near the base of the plant.

22. 2. Leaf spot or Sigatoka disease
Scientific name: Mycosphaerella muscicola
 Symptoms:
Light yellow sots occur on the leaves, further the enlarge
and become oval, color changes to dark brown.
 Bunch grade and individual fruit size are reduced due to
reduction of leaf area.
 Fruits of the affected plant remains angular, undersized,
and ripen prematurely.
 Infection is common in rainy season having temperature above 210C.
 Management:
Soil application of Bayleton granules (1%), diathane M-45 controlled the
disease.

23. 3.Bunchy Top:
 Viral Disease
 Transmitted to plant by the aphid vector Pentalonia
nigronervosa.
 Dwarf bananas are very susceptible to this disease.
 Symptoms:
Leaves are bunches together into a rosette at the top
and side margins are wavy and slightly rolled upward.
 Management:
 Diseased plants along with rhizomes should be
destroyed.
 Use disease free planting material and resistant
cultivars.
 Spray Rogor 20 ml/ 10 liter of water to control Aphid.

24. 4. Banana Mosaic or infectious chlorosis:
 Manifest itself in all stages of crop growth
 Reason: Due to repeated use of suckers from infected plants,
it spreads resulting decrease in yield and quality
 Symptoms: Leaves dwarf growth , mottled and distorted,
abnormal thickened of leaf veins
 Management:
• The plantation should be kept free from weeds.
• Infected suckers should not be used.
• Spraying of Methyldemeton or Monocrotophos at
0.5 to 0.2 ml/plant at 3-4 weeks interval.

25. Thank You
When you go to the grocery
store, buy more bananas than
cookies…
-- Edith Wharton