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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
‘Grand Naine’ is superior selection of Giant Cavendish. The horticultural nomenclature of this cultivar is Musa acuminata (AAA). It is a high yielding Cavendish variety introduced to India from Isreal. This banana cultivar has recently been introduced in Assam from tropical parts of India for commercial cultivation. However, its suitability and ameliorative measures are yet to be ascertained under agro-climatic conditions of Assam. Banana is a heavy feeder of nutrients and as a mesophytic plant it requires high soil moisture for good growth and development leading to production of a heavy bunch. Drip fertigation results in high water use efficiency, uniformity of plant, reduced application cost for fertilizers, reduced labour demand, and reduced weed infestation, control erosion, reduced salinity hazards and more crop productivity per unit area. The present study was programmed in 2014-15 to evaluate the efficacy of the varied components of precision farming systems comprising drip irrigation (80% ER), fertigation (75% RDF), micronutrient foliar spray (Commercial formulation ‘Tracel’2%), bunch spray of sulphate of potash (2%) as well as black LDPE film (50µ) mulch over the traditional system of soil nutrient application (110g N, 33g P2O5 and 330g k2O) and flood irrigation (15 day intervals) in ‘Grand Naine’ banana. Components of precision farming significantly increased bunch yield. The highest bunch weight (21.68 kg) as well as highest yield (66.91t/ha) were recorded in all combinations of precision farming components with drip-fertigation. Micronutrient foliar spray, bunch spray with potassium and black LDPE film mulch. Computation of Harvest Index reveals highest Harvest Index of 32% in all combinations of precision farming components as against the lowest of 30% in traditional system of banana culture depicting the superiority of the precision farming system over the latter.