Studies on time of application and optimum dose of potassium for tissue cultured grand naine banana

A field experiment was conducted to find out the need of potassium during vegetative and reproductive phase and to standardize optimum dose and time of K₂O application to tissue cultured Grand Naine banana under drip irrigation on medium black soil. Application of potassium @ 300 g/plant i.e. 200 g/plant K₂O in two equal splits at planting and 165 days after planting in vegetative phase and remaining 100 g/plant K₂O in two equal splits at 255 and 300 days after planting in reproductive phase found beneficial and economical in terms of banana yield and monetary returns. Soil available NPK at harvest of crop and nutrient uptake by crop was highest in the treatment where K was applied @ 300 g/plant and also more than 300 g/plant.