Response of Banana Plants to Foliar Application of Potassium

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in an orchard, belonging to the Department of Horticulture at Shambat, during 1993-1995 to study the effect of foliar application of four concentrations (0, 30, 60 and 90 ml/1) of potassium solution (38%) on growth characteristics, number of days from planting to flowering (shooting) and from flowering to harvesting and nutrient elements contents, yield and yield components of both plant crop and the first ratoon crop of banana. The plants were sprayed five times at different times throughout the experimental period. The results revealed that foliar application of all concentrations of potassium resulted in greater increases in growth parameters in terms of plant height, pseudostem girth and number of leaves of both plant crop and the first ratoon crop of bananas compared to the control. The greatest values of all these growth parameters were associated with the application of the lowest concentration of potassium (K1). Foliar application of K1 or K2 concentration reduced the time to flowering and harvesting of both plant crop and the first ratoon crop of bananas compared to the foliar application of the highest concentration (K3) and the control. All concentrations were associated with higher values of yield and yield components of plant crop and the first ratoon crop than the control. The highest values were noted with foliar application of K1 or K2. Generally, foliar application of all concentrations gave higher leaf- N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu contents than the control.