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Pak. J. Bot., 42(4): 2369-2381, 2010. |
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Updated: 09-12-10 |
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STATUS AND RESPONSE TO IMPROVED NPK FERTILIZATION PRACTICES IN BANANA
NOOR-UN-NISA MEMON1*, KAZI SULEMAN MEMON1, RAHELL ANWAR2, SAEED AHMAD2 AND MUHAMMAD NAFEES3
Abstract: Banana is a heavy feeder crop and requires high quantity of nutrients which must be supplied through fertilization to obtain optimum yield on sustainable basis. This study was conducted in order to assess banana nutrition status and its response to improved fertilizer management, especially K fertilizer. The study was conducted to evaluate NPK status of banana through soil and plant analysis and obtain quantitative data on the use of manures and mineral fertilizers along with the yield levels achieved. Field experiment involved at two locations comparing banana response to improved practice of fertilization (IP, 544-227-494 kg N-P2O5-K2O ha-1 yr-1) with that of the famer’s traditional practice (FP, avg. rate 381-227-93 kg N-P2O5-K2O ha-1 yr-1). Plant and soil samples were secured during the month of March and additionally in June from grower’s surveyed sites and fertilizer trials and analyzed for N, P and K. The average quantity of fertilizer nutrients used by banana growers were 437 kg N, 241.6 kg P2O5, and 15.4 kg K2O ha-1 with average manure application of 13 ton ha-1 and average banana yield of 29.3 ton ha-1. Analytical data showed that leaf contents of N, P and K ranged from 1.74% to 4.32% (average = 3.00%), 0.17 to 0.29% (average = 0.24%), and 1.99 to 3.56% (average = 3.15%) respectively. Regression analysis of the data showed that the relationship between leaf N (Y) and the N rate (X) could be described by the equation of the form Y = 0.7446+0.005X, R2 = 0.96. In case of P, the relationship was Y = 0.209+0.0001X with R2 = 0.32. Fertilizer response experiment showed that IP was significantly superior to FP in that it increased leaf K from 2.56% to 3.308% and banana yield from 51.2 to 60.8 ton ha-1. However N and P contents were statistically similar under both FP and IP treatments.
1Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh-7600, Pakistan 2Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan 3College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan |
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