Root distribution patterns of banana and colocasia in coconut gardens

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 1993-94 to study the root disribution patterns of banana and colocassia in coconut gardens. The experiments were aimed to study the root distribution patterns of banana var. Palayankodan growth in the open and in the coconut garden under rainfed and irrigated conditions. It was also aimed to study the variation in the root distribution patterns of colocasia var. Cheuchempu grown in the coconut garden and in the open. A 32p plant injection technique and a direct profile excavation technique were employed to study the root distribution patterns. The salient results of the investigation are abstracted below.

BANANA Root production of banana grown in the open was considerably more compared to that grown in coconut garden. Rainfed banana produced more roots compared to irrigated banana. The root distribution patterns of banana vary with growing condition. In the coconut garden, the root system of rainfed banana was spreading and that of irrigated banana was compact. When grown in the open condition, the root system of rainfed banana was compact and that of irrigated banana was spreading. The active root zones of rainfed banana grown in the open, irrigated banana grown in the open, rainfed banana grown in the coconut garden and irrigated banana grown in the coconut garden were the root zones comprising L0-60 D0-60, L0-60 D0-80, L0-80 D0-60 and L0-60 D0-60 respectively.

COLOCASIA Root production of colocasia was more with the plants grown in the open compared to that grown in the coconut garden. Root distribution patterns of colocasia differ between the plants grown in the coconut garden and in the open. The root system of colocasia grown in the coconut garden is deep compact and that of the plants grown in the open is deep spreading. The active root zone of colocasia in the open and in the coconut garden are the root zones comprising L0-20 D0-40 and L0-10 D0-40 respectively. 32P plant injection technique is an efficient method for root system studies in both banana and colocasia.