Vol. 11 No. 2
Identification of optimum leaf area index (LAI) for high density planting of banana cv. martaman in Gangetic Alluvium region of West Bengal
Author(s): S. DEBNATH, F.K. BAURI, B. BANDYOPADHYAY, D.K. MISRA, K.K. MANDAL, I. MURMU AND 2P. PATIL
Abstract: An experiment was conducted under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya to identify the optimum leaf area index (LAI) for high density planting of banana cv. Martaman (MusarnAAB) in the Gangetic Alluvium region of West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in RBD, replicated four times with four treatment combinations of pit spacings and planting densities viz., T1: 2.0 x 3.0m with 3 suckers pit-1 (5000 plants ha-1), T2 : 1.8 × 3.6m with 3 suckers pit-1 (4630 plants ha-1), T3 : 1.5 × 2.0m with 2 suckers pit-1 (6666 plants ha-1) and T4 : 2 × 2m with 1 sucker pit-1 (4444 plants ha-1) as control. Analysis and interpretation of the data observed on plant growth, fruit yield, fruit quality and canopy micro-climate parameters revealed that the LAI gradually increased from 3.36 per pit for 2,500 plant ha-1 (T1) to 6.11 per pit for 6,666 plant ha-1 (T3), while the bunch weight gradually declined from 15.40 kg (T1) to 13.15 kg (T3). The highest B:C ratio of 2.30 was estimated due to the LAI of 5.50 for a plant population of 5,000 ha-1 and bunch weight of 14.95 kg (T1). The light intensity of canopy microclimate drastically reduced in dense population (2.5 thousand Lux in T3), compared with 7.2 thousand Lux under conventional planting density of 2,500 plant ha-1 (T4). Incidence of leaf spot diseases increased above plant population of 5000 ha-1. The fruit quality with respect to total soluble sugar, ascorbic acid and total sugar content varied significantly, except for fruit acidity. The identified optimum LAI was 5.50 for high density planting of banana cv. Martaman, corresponding to a plant population of 5000 ha-1 with 2 × 3 m spacing of pit and 3 plant pit-1 in the Gangetic alluvium region of West Bengal.
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