Bananas are an extremely popular fruit throughout the world. They are also one of the five major food commodities in the world. In addition to being used as food, bananas are also used as medicine. Bananas contain potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, iron, etc.
The main exporting countries for Indian mangoes are the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, etc.
The major benefit of this fruit is its abundance throughout the year. India leads in producing bananas with an annual yield of about 16.8 million tonnes. The scientific name of the fruit is Musa sp. Bananas are also nutritious foods and have medicinal value.
Bananas are delicious food. They’re also good for your health. They contain potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and fiber. You should eat them because they taste great!
How to Start Banana Farming Business
You first need to create a detailed plan for growing bananas. Like any other type of farm, farming also involves certain costs and requires high investment.
It’s important to select the right varieties for your climate conditions.
Depending on how much land you have available, calculate the costs of production. Then, arrange the necessary financing.
You will also need to arrange for an irrigation system.
Planting seeds properly requires arranging them into a well-planned system. You must also implement proper pest control measures.
You need to plan for the marketing. Where/how you will sell the bananas? But exporting is the best option.
Health Benefits of Banana
Bananas have several health advantages. Here are some of them:
- Bananas are highly nutritious and tasty.
- They’re packed with essential vitamins and minerals and help improves digestive function, boost cardiovascular fitness, and aid in weight management.
- A banana has very few calories and almost entirely consists of water and carbohydrates. It has very little protein and almost none of any fat.
- Bananas contain vitamins and minerals that can be beneficial for people who suffer from diabetes. They may also reduce hunger by delaying stomach emptying.
- Banana contains both potassium and magnesium which are essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
- Bananas are high sources of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, fiber, folate, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and vitamin B6. They also contain natural sugars and protein.
- Ripe bananas are a good source of resistant starch, which may help to increase blood sugar levels.
Best Varieties of Banana
Dessert
There are several types of bananas including robusta, dwarf cavendish, grand names, ras thali, varieties proven, Nendran, red banana, Karpoora Valli, co 1, Matti, sanna china Kadalai, Udayan, and Neypoovans. The most common variety exported from India is Culinary.
You can grow Monthan, varieties, ash month, and chukka varieties for culinary purposes. Nendran is an excellent dual-purpose varietal used for both desserts and culinary.
Hill areas
Popular varieties of bananas suitable for hilly regions include Virupakshi, Sri Lanka, and Namarai, but in hill regions, you can grow Red Bananas, Santhanavazhi (Manoranjitham), and Ladan.
Agro Climatic Condition For Banana Cultivation
Bananas are fruit belonging to the Musaceae family. They are native to Southeast Asia and Africa. They were brought to Europe during the 16th century. They are grown commercially in India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Brazil, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
However, you can cultivate this crop in climatic conditions varying from humid tropical to dry subtropical through the choice of suitable cultivars. Cold damage happens at temperatures below 12°C. High-velocity winds reach speeds exceeding 80km/h. causes crop damage.
The rainy season from June to September is the most important time for banana production. A good quality loamy fertile clayey type of land is required for the successful cultivation of bananas.
Suitable Soil For Banana Cultivation
Soil fertility is essential when growing bananas. They need lots of nutrients, so they’re not good at spreading out their roots.
Soil fertility is one of the most important factors when choosing the best kind of soil for growing banana trees. But there is no guarantee that even if you choose the right soil, your plants may not thrive.
Before planting bananas, you need to check the quality of the land where you want to plant them. Make sure the land has good drainage, adequate nutrients, and sufficient water.
Bananas prefer deep, rich loam, and silty clay soils with a pH between 6 and 7.5. So, you shouldn’t plant bananas in areas with poor drainage, very sandy and heavy black cotton soils, or soils with an acidic pH.
Basic Steps of Banana Farming
1. Prepare land for banana farming
Prior to planting bananas, plant the green manure crop like Cowpeas, the cowpea plows insist on the field. You should plow the chosen field four to six times. Allow weathering for two months. You can apply rotavators or harrows to loosen the clods and make the ground fine.
When preparing the land, you can add a base dosage of FYM (about 60 kgs per hectare before the final harrowing) thoroughly mixed into it. While preparing the land, you may also add a basal dosage of fertilizer (about 20kgs per hectare).
2. Ratoon Crop
Bananas are perennial plants. They produce successive generations of fruits. The first harvest is known as the plant fruit. The next year is the first ration of fruit. The third year is the second ratio fruit. And so on.
3. Space and plant banana trees
Bananas grow best in tropical climates, but they can be grown anywhere if you know where to look for them. They need good fertile soil, plenty of sunlight, and regular water.
Cut off the rotten part of the stem and trim away any dead leaves. Then dig up the banana plants and remove the root ball. Plant the banana plants in pots or directly into the ground.
4. Irrigation
Irrigate immediately following planting. Give water to your plants after four days. Then, you should irrigate the soil every seven days for gardens and once in ten days for wetland areas.
Water the plants abundantly after each fertilizer application. Use trickle emitters @ five to ten liters per plant per day from planting to the fourth months, ten to fifteen liters per plant per day from the fifth to the third weeks, and fifteen liters per plant per day from the third to the fifteenth weeks.
5. Manuring
Banana plants require a lot of nutrition. They need around 300 grams of Nitrate (N), 100 grams of Phosphate (P), and 200 grams of Potassium (K).
Bananas grow best under conditions where they receive plenty of sunlight and enough water. A banana tree needs rich soil containing lots of organic matter. The banana trees also require a good amount of fertilizer.
Weeding bananas is an important part of banana farming.
Regular weeding is vital during the first four months of planting. Usually, you can utilize spading. Thus, four spades per year are efficient in managing weeds. However, you may take advantage of the integrated weddings by incorporating crop covers, judicious usage of herbicides, interplanting, and manual weeding.
These will assist in enhancing productivity. Additionally, you could embrace double cropping of cowpeas. It is just as efficient in reducing weeds.
7. Intercropping
You can easily grow intercropped bananas at the initial stage of planting. Crops like radish, cauliflower, cabbage spinach, chilies, brinjals, ladyfinger, gourd, marigolds, and tubers are successful in intercropped plantations. Mixed cropping with coconuts and cassava is also common.
8. Plant Protection
Common Pests and Diseases include
Pseudostem Borer: A stem borer causes much damage to plants. The grub of this pest bores into pseudostems. As a result, they turn yellow, wilt, and kill the plants.
Rootstock weevil: This pest harms banana plants all year round. The larvae bore into roots and caused them to rot. Adults hide in leaf sheaths and suckers.
Panama Wilt: This fungal infection is most serious in poorly draining soils and in the lands where you plant bananas every single season. Infected plants exhibit yellowing of their leaves which eventually turn brown and fall off.
Viral diseases cause infected plants to produce bunches of shortened and narrowed (bunched) foliage.
Harvesting & Yield in Banana Farming
Dwarf cultivars of Bananas are ready for harvest within 12 to 15 months after planting. While tall varieties require 16 to 20 months to mature. Therefore, the average yield of Bananas is 45 to 55 t/ha. You may prolong the shelf life of Banana fruit and their quality by 2 to 4 days with the use of Ethylene Absorbent like Vermiculite Blocks.
You can keep bananas at a relative humidity between 85 and 95 percent for up to three months if they’re stored in an airtight container. Bananas can be kept in a refrigerator for two to three days after harvest. They can be frozen for several months but the quality deteriorates rapidly once thawed.
Economic Importance of Banana Farming
Bananas are an important part of life in tropical regions. They provide food, medicine, clothing, shelter, tools, and fuel. In addition, bananas help people earn money through farming, fishing, and trading. For example, they can sell bananas to local markets, or export them to foreign countries.
Banana trees grow best in warm climates, so bananas do not survive very cold temperatures. However, bananas can tolerate moderate frost if protected during freezing weather.
Bananas are one of the world’s favorite fruits. They are delicious, nutritious, easy to grow, and versatile. But they are not just any fruit; they are an important part of our diet. Because of their high nutritional value, bananas are often exported around the globe.
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