Abstract:
The experiment entitled "Bunch stalk feeding of urea in banana Musa
(AAB group) "Nendran'" was carried out at the Department of Pomology and
Floriculture, Vellanikkara during the period of 1996 June to 1997 June with five
preliminary and two main experiments. The major objectives of this research was to
study the effect of bunch management practices like male bud pruning and urea
feeding in banana on yield and quality attributes and also the metabolism of urea in
the fruit. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomised Design
with two replications.
The preliminary experiments had undoubtedly, proved the fact that,
pruning the male bud at a distance of 20 cm from the last hand improve the
bunch characters and yield.
Urea feeding through the cut and of bunch stalk also had its impact on getting
maximum return with minimum inputs. Placement of an optimum dose of 30g urea at
the cut stalk end, 3 weeks after the complete emergence of the bunch by adopting the
flat cut method increased yields. A higher dose, greater than 50g resulted in negative
effects on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the bunch as well as fingers.
The main experiments on bunch stalk feeding, also reinforced the superiority
of 30g placements at 2nd and 4th week after the emergence of bunch, after female
phase recording an yield increment of 4.4 kg over the control.
Urea spray, with a spray volume of 250 ml, at 5% concentration, 2 times on a
bunch i.e., 3rd and 5th week and also at 3rd and 4th week recorded an yield increment
of 3-3.5 kg, compared to the control. Higher doses and more frequency of urea spray
resulted in a retearding effect on bunch development.
Bunch feeding with urea did not reduce the quality significantly. But a slight
increase in acidity and reduction in sugar content and TSS were noticed.
The urease activity and molecular absorption of urea studies, to a great extent
explain the metabolism of urea feeding in banana fruits. However, the rapidly
expanding direct application of urea as a fertilizer and results generated in the study
points to a re-evaluation of the existing methods, the role of this compound and the
manner of its application and assimilation.
