Cultural methods of sucker activation techniques for salvaging underdeveloped suckers in banana cv. Nendran (AAB genomic group)

Abstract

This experiment was taken up in the ‘Central Orchard’ situated in the main campus of the Kerala Agricultural University, with main aim of enhancing the quality sucker production and to standardize the sucker activation/ invigoration technique in banana cv. Nendran (AAB) using different graded doses of fertilizers. The treatment consisted of four different N equivalent (form 5, 10, 15, 20 g N equivalent clump-1) in the form of Urea and 17: 17: 17 NPK mixture. This along with the control formed nine treatment, which were replicated five times in Completely Randomized Deign (CRD). The study revealed that application of NPK mixture (17: 17: 17) @ 5 and 10 g N equivalent clump-1 resulted in maximum number of total as well as quality suckers. B: C ratio and its increment over control was also the highest for NPK mixture (17: 17: 17) @ 5 g N equivalent clump-1.