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Yield Performance of Banana Irrigated with Fractions of Class A Pan Evaporation in a Semiarid Environment

USDA-ARS, Tropical Agric. Res. Stn., P.O. Box 70, Mayagfiez, PR 00681

^* Corresponding author.

There is a scarcity of information regarding the optimum water requirement for banana (Musa acuminata Colla, AAA group) grown under semiarid conditions with drip irrigation in the tropics. A 3-yr study was conducted on a fine-loamy, mixed, isohyperthermic Cumulic Haplustoll to determine water requirement, yield, and fruit-quality traits of the plant crop (PC) and two ratoon crops (RI and R2) of ‘Grande Naine’ banana subjected to five levels of irrigation. The irrigation treatments were based on Class A pan factors that ranged from 0.25 to 1.25 in increments of 0.25. Drip irrigation was supplied three times a week on alternate days. Results showed significant (P 0.01) irrigation treatment and crop effects for all yield components, fruit length and diameter, days to flower, and days from flowering to harvest. Highest marketable yield (86.3 Mg ha^–1) was obtained from the R2 crop with water application according to a pan factor of 1.25. Plant crop and RI plants irrigated using the same pan factor yielded 45.3 and 70.3 Mg ha–¹, respectively. Increasing the pan factor from 0.25 to 1.25 resulted in weight gains of the third-upper hand of 70% in PC, 90% in R1, and 122% in R2. Irrigation according to increasing pan factors resulted in significant increases on the number of hands per bunch and the length and diameter of fruits in the third-upper and last hands in the bunch. It was concluded from this investigation that, to attain high yields, banana grown under semiarid conditions should be irrigated with a pan factor of not less than 1.0.

Received for publication January 15, 1994.

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				R. Goenaga and H. Irizarry Yield and Quality of Banana Irrigated with Fractions of Class A Pan Evaporation on an Oxisol Agron. J., September 1, 2000; 92(5): 1008 - 1012. [Abstract] [Full Text]