干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Bananas show wide adaptability to a range of environments. That is why we are able to grow it in semi arid areas totally different from the optimal conditions that prevail in the humid tropics. Among cultural practices, water is probably the most important factor in banana production. The grower is interested to produce maximum fruit of high quality in highest efficiency of water use. Research has given answers to the most important efficiency questions i.e. how much water to apply and how often to irrigate.

For optimal growth and production, bananas require high amounts of nutrients which are supplied only in part by the soil. The grower have the -option of relatively high control of the nutritional needs by applying both manure and fertilizers. Field experiments proved that during the last 25 years the total mass in a banana plantation increased (change of cultivars), production increased, amount of fertilizers applied increased and the nutrient concentration in the plant increased as well. Thus, the nutritional efficiency increased. It is expected that future research will prove additional increase in water and nutrient efficiency in bananas in the subtropics.