Enhancing banana production through effective fertigation frequency management and plastic mulch: Impacts on crop growth and yield

The use of plastic mulch, water-soluble fertilizers, and drip irrigation has grown in popularity recently for banana (Musa acuminata L.) farming. A field experiment was carried out at Kharagpur, West Bengal, India, to examine the impact of different fertigation intervals and plastic mulch on the response of the Grand Naine cultivar of banana. A randomized complete block design with four fertigation intervals both with and without plastic mulch was used in the study. Biometric characteristics including plant height, pseudo stem girth, leaf area, number of suckers, and crop duration were measured. The outcomes demonstrated the superiority of two-day fertigation interval and black plastic mulchtreatment by displaying higher plants height, a greater stem girth, more leaf area, the greatest number of suckers, and a shorter crop duration. For both the main crop and the ratoon crop, the maximum banana production was achieved with a fertigation interval of two days alongwith black plastic mulch (T₁), yielding 66.3 t/ha and 52.2 t/ha, respectively. The yield obtained under the T₁ treatment was statistically similar to the fertigation intervals of bi-weekly and weekly treatments for both main and ratoon crops. Fertigation intervals of bi-weekly and weekly treatments showed statistically similar values for pulp: peel ratio, TSS, and reducing sugar of banana fruit when compared to the fruit quality parameters of the T₁ treatment. Consequently, using fertilizer interval advised at weekly for the banana. The results highlight the significance of systematic fertigation scheduling and mulching procedures, providing insightful information for effective banana growing practices.