EFFECT OF RATE AND FREQUENCY OF MICRONUTRIENT ON GROWTH ATTRIBUTES AND DRY MATTER YIELD OF BANANA CV. GRAND NAINE UNDER SOUTH GUJARAT CONDITION

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out using banana as a plant crop and ratoon crop at Soil and Water Management Research Unit, NAU, Navsari. The different rate of multi-micronutrients mixture grade-V (M 1 =25g/plant, M 2 = 50g/plant, M 3 = 75g/plant) and the frequency of application (S 1 = Basal and S 2 = 50 per cent each as basal and 50 per cent two month after planting) was used in different treatment. The treatments viz., PFDC(T 1 ), PFDC+M 1 S 1 (T 2 ), PFDC+M 1 S 2 (T 3 ), PFDC+M 2 S 1 (T 4 ), PFDC+M 2 S 2 (T 5 ), PFDC+M 3 S 1 (T 6 ), PFDC+M 3 S 2 (T 7 ) and 100% RDF only (T 8 ) for both years were tested using RBD with four replications. The dry matter yield (t ha 1 ) of different banana plant part (leaves, pseudostem and fruits) was significantly more (2.18, 10.43 and 10.70 t ha -1 respectively) in treatment T 7 i.e. (M 3 S 2 ) compared to rest of the treatments. Whereas the growth parameters (plant height, pseudostem girth and number of functional leaves) were non-significantly influenced. Similar result was observed in ratoon crop. Application of treatment T 6 (T 1 + M 3 S 1 ) and T 7 (T 1 + M 3 S 2 ) can be beneficial under south Gujarat condition to achieve a good growth attributes and dry matter yield different plant parts.