Potassium management of banana

• Chapter Authors : Sathiamoorthy, S.; Jeyabaskaran, K.J.


• Document type : Conference paper


• Year of publication : 2001


• Conference : IPI/NARCTT Regional Workshop: Potassium and Water Management in West Asia and North Africa, Amman (JOR), 2001/11/05-06


• Book title : Potassium and water management in West Asia and North Africa [Gestion du potassium et de l'eau en Asie de l'ouest et l'Afrique du nord]


• Editors : Jonston, A.E.


• Publisher(s) : IPI


• Place of publication : Horgen (CHE)


• Pages : 499-516


• Language(s) : English


• Abstract : Banana is one of the most important fruit crops in India. It is being cultivated in four lakh hectares with a total annual production of 13.5 million tonnes. Banana being a heavy feeder of potassium requires nearly 1500 kg of K2O per hectare. Nearly 6 lakh tonnes of K2O is required for banana production in India which in terms of K fertilizer comes to be about 10 lakh tonnes of KCl or 12 lakh tonnes of K2SO4 per year. Though, the Indian soils in banana growing belts are very rich in potassium minerals. The potassium availability to banana crop is restricted due to various soil factors. Chemical compounds of potassium are highly soluble, but its soil mineral forms (micas and orthoclase feldspars) are slowly soluble. It is the most abundant metal cation in tissues of banana and other crops (often up to 3 or 4 percent of dry weight), but soil humus furnishes very little potassium during decomposition. Decomposition of fresh plant residues from banana orchards supplies whatever potassium the plant absorbed for its growth. Potassium is required for the activation of over 60 enzymes involved in the formation of carbohydrates, translocation of sugars, various enzyme actions, yield, quality parameters, storage life of banana, the tolerance to certain diseases, mechanisms to overcome the abiotic stress, cell permeability and several other functions. Weathering of soil primary minerals can be a chief source of nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and minor elements in low input banana/plantain cropping systems. Nutrient reserves depend on both soil parent rock composition and weathering stage. In Volcanic ash soils of Cameroon, high Ca and Mg reserves (related to the presence of Caplagioclases, augite and olivine) influence banana nutrition, particularly the cation balance involving K. In mica-rich alluvial soils from Madagascar, Godefroy (1988) reported the positive effect of Guatamale grass (Tripsicumm laxum) on K availability for bananas. The grass was planted in sequential cropping with banana, cut off and used as mulch for the next banana planting. The exchangeable K level in the topsoil increased from 0.14 (before planting grass) to 1 meq/100g.


• Keywords : FERTILIZER APPLICATION; TISSUE ANALYSIS; POTASSIUM; POTASH FERTILIZERS; SOIL FERTILITY; ABSORPTION


• Open access : No


• Musalit document ID : IN070144

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