Evaluation of Soil Nutrient Balance with Varying Organics and Doses of Inorganics under Double Sucker System of Planting Banana

Abstract

Banana is an exhaustive feeder of nutrients due to its rapid and vigorous growth and high productivity. Competition for nutrients is one of the factors which result in reduced bunch weight under high density planting of banana. This necessitates the need for augmenting and optimizing the nutritional requirement of banana under double sucker planting. An integrated nutrient management practice combining organic and inorganic nutrient sources has to be adopted for better results. Different levels of inorganic nutrients and organic sources on double sucker planting were studied. The treatments constituted three levels of nutrients viz., recommended dose of nutrients, 133 per cent of recommended dose of nutrients and 167 per cent of recommended dose of nutrients as well as three sources of organic manure viz., farmyard manure, banana residue in fresh state and vermicomposted. Balance sheet of soil nutrients were worked out utilizing the nutrient gains and losses recorded in the experiment. Soil nutrient status improved after two years of experimentation in all the treatments.