Climatic Adoptability /requirements of Banana

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Climatic Adoptability /requirements of Banana
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introduction

• The major banana growing areas of the world are
  geographically situated between the Equator and
  latitudes 200 N and 200S.
• Climatic conditions in these areas are mainly
  tropical, with comparatively small temperature
  fluctuation from day to night and from summer to
  winter.
• The banana growing areas of subtropics are
  situated between 200 and 300 North or south of
  the equator.
• The main climatic characteristic in the
  subtropics are the wide temperature fluctuations
  between day and night and between summer and
  winter, the high and the low rainfall which is
  also poorly distributed.

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• Bananas perform very well under humid tropical
  conditions but can be cultivated successfully
  even under humid or semi arid sub tropical
  conditions.
• The growth and yield of most of the varieties are
  better at a temperature range of 25-35C though
  they can be cultivated at a temperature range of
  10-40C.
• A suitable banana climate is a mean temperature
  of 26.67C and mean rainfall of 10 cm per month.
  There should not be more than 3 months of dry
  season.
• Under cooler climates the crop duration is
  extended. The shooting and bunch development gets
  affected at temperature less than 10C.

Cont.
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• The growth of the banana plant responds quickly,
  within a matter of an hour or two to changes in
  air temperature. All growth ceases as soon as the
  temperature of the surrounding air falls below
  11 C.
• As long as the temperature remains 11 C, no
  growth whatsoever takes place. As the air
  temperature rises above 11 C growth starts and
  the growth rate increases gradually at first, and
  then with rising temperatures, more and more
  rapidly.
• The biggest increase in growth rate for every
  degree that the temperature rise appears to lie
  between approximately 19 C and 23 C.

Cont.
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• The daily growth at 23 C is, in fact, about
  double that at 19 C. With further rise in
  temperature, the growth continues to increase,
  but more and more slowly as high levels of
  temperature are reached.
• In the experiments conducted, no falling off or
  even leveling off of the growth rate was
  observed.
• Cool weather and prolonged drought retard growth.
  Banana plants produce only one leaf per month in
  winter, 4 per month in summer. If low
  temperatures occur just at flowering time, the
  bud may not be able to emerge from the stem.

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• If fruits have already formed, maturity may be
  delayed several months or completely suspended.
  If only the leaves are destroyed, the fruits will
  be exposed to sunburn.
• Smudging, by burning dry trash covered with green
  clippings to create smoke, can raise the
  temperature 2 to 4 degrees.
• Flooding the field in advance of a cold snap will
  keep the ground warm if the brief chill weather
  is prevailed.
• The brief frosts kill the plants to the ground
  but do not destroy the corm. A cooking banana,
  'Plankel', survives winters in home gardens in
  northern India.

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• Banana is cultivated under different conditions
  in India. The temperature, Rainfall and Latitude
  details of banana growing states in India.

State Latitude N Temp C Region Rainfall (Cm)
Andhra Pradesh 16-18 16-43 Coastal 100
  Telangana 81
  Rayalaseema 68
Assam 25-27 16-38 - 252
Bihar 22-25 10-46 - 137
Karnataka 14-28 13-18 Coastal 326
  South 124
  North 69
Kerala 10-14 16-38 - 301
Maharashtra 19-22 13-41 - 92
Tamil Nadu 10-12 16-41 - 102
Uttar Pradesh 25-28 7-43 East 102
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• Banana comes up well at altitudes ranging from
  sea level to 1500 m above mean sea level. 'Dwarf
  Cavendish' and the 'Red' banana are particularly
  sensitive to cold, whereas the dwarf cultivar
  'Walha', or 'Kullen', of India is successful up
  to 4,000 ft (1,220 m) in the outer range of the
  Western Ghats.
• 'Vella vazhai' is extensively cultivated in the
  Lower Pulneys between 3,200 and 5,500 ft (975 and
  1,616 m).
• At higher altitudes, only few varieties like
  hill bananas can be grown successfully as is
  being practiced in Pulney and Shevroy hills of
  Tamil Nadu.
• They are prone to wind damage in areas where
  severe winds are experienced. In such areas
  Dwarf Cavendish can be tried for cultivation.

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• Wind is detrimental to banana plants. Light winds
  shred the leaves, interfering with metabolism
  stronger winds may twist and distort the crown.
• Winds to 30 mph break the petioles winds to 40
  mph will topple a pseudostem that is supporting
  the weight of a heavy bunch unless the stem is
  propped, and may cause root damage in non
  fruiting plants that are not blown down winds of
  60 mph or over will uproot entire plantations,
  especially when the soil is saturated by rain.
• Windbreaks are often planted around banana fields
  to provide some protection from cold and wind.
  Hot winds blowing in high speed during the summer
  month's shred and desiccate the leaves.

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• Cyclones and hurricanes are devastating and the
  latter were the main reason for the shift of
  large scale banana production.
• Hail results from powerful convection currents in
  the tropics, especially in the spring, and does
  much damage to bananas.
• Stagnation of water is injurious and may cause
  diseases like Panama wilt. In coastal areas of
  Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu the cyclonic wind
  damages the plantations.
• Hence it is advisable to select areas where mean
  temperature is around 25-30 C with a mean annual
  rainfall of 100 mm per month.

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effects of low winter temperatures

• The problems which result in a banana plantation
  from low winter temperatures serve to only
  emphasize the importance of adequate heat as a
  factor, in banana production.
• The most important of these are 'choke throat'
  'November dump' and frost damage.

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choke throat
Symptoms

• Choke throat is a physiological disorder of
  bananas. It is also known as choke, choking or
  choked throat.
• In its most severe form the bunch fails to emerge
  from the top of the pseudostem and instead bursts
  through the side of the pseudostem.
• In less severe cases the top 1 or 2 hands become
  trapped in the throat of the plant leading to
  badly misshapen fruit.Because the bunch is not
  'thrown' clear of the throat it is both difficult
  to cover with bunch covers and more susceptible
  to sunburn damage.
• Bunches which experience difficulty in emergence
  usually have several leaves closely 'bunched'
  together at the top of the pseudostem.

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Causes

• Choke throat is seasonal in nature. It is
  usually worst in the winter and early spring
  following cold weather. However, it can also
  occur following periods of water logging or
  severe water stress and following wind storms.
• Two factors contribute to the actual difficulty
  in bunch emergence. Firstly there is a reduction
  in the elongation of internodes of the true stem
  bearing the bunch inside the pseudostem (pseudo
  false).
• Secondly, the stiffness of the leaf bases at the
  top of the pseudostem can prevent proper bunch
  emergence

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• Control
• Select taller varieties, which are less
  susceptible to choke, throat, eg Williams.
• Choose a warm environment, one which is well
  protected from frosts and strong winds.
• North Queensland has less problems with choke
  throat than southern Queensland. Slopes facing
  the north and north west are usually warmer.

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• Control time of bunching to avoid cold weather
  prior to bunching. Plants bunching in the late
  spring to mid autumn are less affected.
• Good on-farm drainage measures including mounding
  of rows.
• Regular irrigation to avoid water stress
  particularly during hot-dry weather.
• Higher nitrogen rates are thought to be beneficial

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November dump

• Cold temperatures also have a marked effect on
  bunch development. When the flower initiation
  occurs during the winter, a characteristically a
  peculiar bunch can be expected.
• The November dump bunch is small and composed of
  hands of uneven size and often deformed fruits.
• The smaller fingers on the hands are, in many
  cases, fuller at the flower end and thinner at
  the stalk end.
• The flower end is often black, rough and cracked
  and during a good rainy season, fungal diseases
  further damage these fruits

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• Another common symptom is the cone-shaped
  protuberance at the flower end.
• This protuberance is pale green in color. The
  amount of misshapen fruit as November-emerging
  bunches varies from year to year.
• It must be stressed that November dump symptoms
  are caused by cold temperatures and they are not
  mineral deficiency or drought symptoms.
• A good orchard practice is to cut down all the
  plants producing severe November dumps.

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REFERENCE

• Veeraraghavathatham , D., M.Jawaharla, S.Jeeva
  and R.Rabindran. 1996. Scientific fruit culture.
• Chattopadhyay, 1994. A text book on pomology.
  Kalyani publishers. Ludhiana.
• Nakasone, A.Y. and R.E. Paul, 1998. Tropical
  fruit. CAB international publishing ltd.
• Bal J.S., 1997. Fruit growing, Kalyani
  publishers. Ludhiana
• Singh, S.P. 1995. Commercial fruits. Kalyani
  publishers. Ludhiana.

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assessment

• 1. _________and prolonged drought retard growth.
  Cool weather.
• 2. The shooting and bunch development gets
  affected at the temperature ______
• a). 10 - 20 C b). More than 20 C
  c). Less than 10 C
• 3. _______ and the 'Red' banana are particularly
  sensitive to cold.( Dwarf Cavendish')
• 4. _________ varieties are most susceptible to
  choke throat disorder.
• a). Tall varieties b). Dwarf varieties
• 5. November dump symptoms are caused mineral
  deficiency or drought symptoms (True/ False)

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