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Growth, yield and leaf nutrient content of organically grown banana plants in the Canary islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2002

Carlos Enrique Alvarez ,
Andrés Ortega ,
Marino Fernández  and
Andrés Antonio Borges
Carlos Enrique Alvarez
Affiliation:
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, La Laguna, 38206 Tenerife, Spain
Andrés Ortega
Affiliation:
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, La Laguna, 38206 Tenerife, Spain
Marino Fernández
Affiliation:
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, La Laguna, 38206 Tenerife, Spain
Andrés Antonio Borges
Affiliation:
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, La Laguna, 38206 Tenerife, Spain
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Abstract

Introduction. To compare the mineral nutrition of organically and normally grown bananaplants, observations were made on growth and yield of organic banana plants, at the Canary Islands. Thedata were then discussed opposite the results previously reported for conventional plantations.Materials and methods. Growth parameters (plant height, leaf emission rate, pseudostemcircumference) and yield parameters (bunch weight, number of hands, finger grade, etc.) were measuredduring ten months on an organically grown banana plantation of Dwarf Cavendish cv. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Mg,Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn contents were also assessed. Results and discussion. Leaf emission rates showedhigher values in late spring and early summer (0.099-0.109 leaf $\cdot$ d-1), while pseudostemcircumference grew more in late spring (0.238 cm $\cdot$ d-1) than in summer. In August, pseudostemcircumference decreased dramatically, probably because the plants with a larger circumference had floweredbefore that month and could not be measured. Bunches gave good yields for the zone (43.59 kg on average)and had a high mean number of hands (12.79). Number of fingers of the second upper hand (25.63), theirgrade (37.63 cm), length (23.50 cm) and weight (165.19 g) ranged from normal to high. Month of harvestinginfluenced yield and quality of the fruits. Leaf content of N, P, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn fell within thenormal range related to the conventionally grown banana plants. Potassium foliar content showed low levelsbut not deficiencies, whereas Ca leaf concentrations were high but not excessive. No relationship wasfound among leaf nutrient levels and growth, yield and fruit quality parameters.

Keywords

Canary IslandsMusaorganic agricultureplant nutritiongrowthyieldsmineralcontentCanaries (îles)Musaagriculture biologiquenutrition des plantescroissancerendementteneur en éléments minéraux
Type
Research Article
Information
Fruits , Volume 56 , Issue 1 , January 2001 , pp. 17 - 26
Copyright
© CIRAD, EDP Sciences

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