Banana tissue culture plants can be planted throughout the year in entire India.

They are planted in small pits, each just enough to accommodate

the base of a tissue culture plant. The planting-distance varies from 2m X 2m in the case of dwarf varieties to 4m X 4m in the case of very tall
varieties.

MANURING. An application of 20 to 25 kg of farmyard manure, together with about 5 kg of wood-ashes per plant is given at planting time. In
southern India, ammonium sulphate is applied one month, five months and nine months after planting 20 kg per hectare each time. In western
India, a little over 2 kg of oilcake per stool is applied during the first three months after planting. A complete fertilizer mixture may be applied to
supply 100 to 200 kg of N, 100 to 200 kg of P2O5 and 200 to 400 kg of K2O per hectare. A green-manure crop is also considered beneficial. Trials
at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research have shown that for the 'Grand Naine' variety, a fertilizer mixture comprising 220 g of N + 110 g of
P2O5 + 300 g of K2O per plant is ideal.

Fertigation Schedule:
Duration
Age of the Quantity
Sl No in Fertilizer Total Qty. Kg/acre
crop (weeks) Kg/acre/week
weeks
19:19:19 + 2 16
1 1-8 8 Micronutrient, Calcium
16.25 130
Nitrate
12:61:00 6 48
2 9-16 8
Calcium Nitrate 20.75 166
12:61:00 0.5 5
3 17-28 10 13:00:45 5 50
Calcium Nitrate 3 30
13:00:45 2 28
4 27-40 14
00:000:50 4.5 63
5 41-42 2 00:00:50 5 10

Fertilizer Schedule:

Date of Quantity of Fertilizer per Plant in Grams

Sl. No.
Application Urea DAP Potash Neem Cake
1 30th day 30 45 60 10
2 60th day 70 40 90 10
3 120th day 100 35 120 15
4 150th day 100 40 120 15
5 200th day 80 30 100 20
230th day (Flower
6 60 30 120 20
emerging)
7 260th day - - 100 -
8 300th day - - 100 -

Foliar application of water soluble fertilizers: Weekly one spray of the following fertilizers are recommended, at the rate of 2, 5, 10 grams/lr of
water depending on the age of the crop.

1. 19:19:19 water soluble complex

2. Calcium Nitrate
3. Chelated Micronutrients

AFTER-CARE. The removal of suckers, dry leaves and pseudo-stems, from which the fruits have been harvested, constitute the main after-care.
Daughter-suckers should be removed promptly until the mother-plant flowers, when one daughter-sucker may be allowed to take its place. The
removal of dry leaves and useless pseudo-stems requires to be done in time. After all the fruits are formed, the pendant portion of the remaining
inflorescence along with the heart should be removed.

The propping of plants with bamboo poles, especially those which have thrown out bunches, is necessary wherever damage by wind is
apprehended. Where the wind damage is recurring, dwarf varieties should be preferred.

IRRIGATION. The banana-plants require very heavy irrigation. Irrigation is given in most places once in seven to ten days. Stagnation of water in
the soils is not very congenial to the proper growth of banana and, hence, the drainage of soil is also essential. Drip irrigation is always
recommended with a fertigation pump.

Approx. water requirement in

Age of the crop
liters/day/plant
1 to 60 days 8
61 to 90th day 16
91 to 120th day 24
121 to 150th day 32
151 to 180th day 40
181 to till emergence of flower 48
Bunch maturity phase 56

Plant protection measures:

 To avoid Nematode attack 20 gms of Carbofuran at the time of planting along with Neem cake application is recommended
In case of Erwenia attack in the early stage of the crop, particularly during summer months Bagalol/Emmisson at the rate of 2 gm/l
drenching is recommended
Streptocycline has to be applied to avoid the spread of Erwenia.
Tilt (Propiconazole) at the rate of 2ml/l of water has to be sprayed in the third and fifth month of crop period to avoid the infestation of
Sigatoka

HARVESTING. The plant commence flowering in southern and western India about seven months after planting, and the fruits take about three
months more to ripen. In the Andhra Pradesh delta areas, the fruits are ready for harvesting about seven to eight months after planting. The first
crop of the 'Grand Naine' variety matures in 12 to 13 months and the second in 21 to 24 months after planting. In other parts of India, the first crop
is usually gathered a year after planting, whereas the succeeding crop may be ready in six to ten months thereafter.

The bunch is harvested just before it attains the ripening stage. When the fruits have reached the full size, they become plump, and mature with a
distinct change in colour. For long transport, the bunch may be harvested somewhat earlier. The bunch is cut, retaining about 15 cm of the stem
above the first hand. The yield varies considerably from 26,000 to 55,000 kg per hectare.

CURING AND MARKETING. The ripening of banana is done in several ways, e.g. exposing the bunches to the sun, placing them over a hearth,
wrapping them in closed go-downs or smoking them in various ways. One of the common ways is to heap the fruits in a room and cover them with
leaves, after which fire is lit in a corner and the room is closed and made as air-tight as possible. Ripening takes place usually in 30 to 48 hours. In
a cool store, the bunches ripen well at about 15 to 20 C. The application of Vaseline, a layer of clay or coal-tar to the cut-ends of the stalks
prevents rotting during ripening and storage. After emergence of flower, from the plant it is absolutely essential to cover the entire inflorescence
with a blue color bag to improve the quality of fruits for the export market as done in Isreal.

Wrapping up the fruits and packing them in crates help to reduce the damage during transport.