Hi friends this is the first time I posted here , but from so many days I am reading all the topics Inspired by this I started agriculture in my village even though I am working as engineer in Blr my farm is 60 km from Blr.
As last june i dig borewel and cultivate maize and ground nut but in that crop no gain no loss as it is first crop more expenses i bear it after wards i planted mulberry for 2 acres and half acre nursery of mulberry now i started rearing silk worm ok i got decent amount.
But now i decided to plant banana for 1 acre after completion of nursery i wl shift mulbery plants to the nursery place where i i had low water source.
Nursery wl be over by end of the jan then i can shift these plants to the nursery plcae and is it ok for planting Banana in feb end or march i planned to plant Ealakki banana bcs our side so many farmres cultivate Ealakki only and got very good amount.
pls sugest me whether that time is good and also where i got Tissue culture banana Saplings and good spacing for them and how many plants for 1 acre and alll the details if I got I wl start.
Like Sri and also other experience members gave good suggestions i read in so many topics so i expect same encourgement for me also.
Elakki banana can be harvested 12-13 months from planting, G9 at 11 months. If you plant it in Jan2015 Feb2016 will be harvesting season. You will need 15-20ltrs of water per plant from Dec15-Feb16. You can plant 1200/acre so caalculate water requirement. if your soil is red(around Bangalore it is the common soil) you need to water them almost everyday. if you have proper mulching you can reduce water requirement. Do you have so much water available?
Secondly, in winter there will be strong wind blows if you have bunch in december trees tend to bendover.(you have to ask local farmers if this not a problem in your area). Sometimes wind will be so strong you cannot control falling of trees even if you provided supporting poles are tied ropes.
Adress these two points if you are going to plant in Jan. In your place I would have targeted any festival season for harvesting.
Tx for reply ok no water problem for me bcs i had only 2.25 acres land where i got water source i had water source off 2’’ full pressure . only problem is the ideal time for planting Ealakki Banana and where I got Tissue culture plants. Farmers our side told the harvesting time is 11 months for Ealakki Banana.I dontknow properly is it G9 is advisable but cost wise it is very low compare to Ealkki,
The banana plantation should be avoided in case winds are extra strong during its height gaining periods.You are the best judge in your area to decide for that.Banana normally takes 13-14 months for fruiting and you can combine it with some festival season to reap good returns.The banana likes papaya as its companion crop and very few farmers know this wonderful fact.This companionship of two crops enhances the production quantity of both crops by minimum 1/2 times of normal production.Both crops have different requirement for water but wise farmers ensure no conflict of water distribution for both crops.The distance has to be maintained in such a manner that both crops get sufficient space to grow.Both crops like sunny days, free from shade etc.In case you go for High density bananas you can plant approximately 1100 plants per acre with support of drip irrigation.Please also ensure removal of wild weeds growing underneath.The combined crops should be planted in such a fashion that papaya does not get extra water standing underneath during rains along the roots.So it should be grown on elevated ridges to avoid root rot disease.If you follow my advise you will become a leader for farmers in your area.
Normally we recommend banana plantation at a distance of 1.8 mtrsx1.8 mtrs but to be on safer side I recommend a line to line and plant to plant inter se distance of 2 mtrsx2 mtrs.While growing combination of banana and papaya you should go for one row of papaya and one row of bananaThis solution of banana papaya cultivation is a result of years and years of trials and comparative production data.I wish all the success to my forum brothers/sistres to reap rich dividends in case they go for this combination.Rest in case of any query please ask further.Regards.
Tx lot rcdixit for your kind reply some farmers told Tissue culture gives more yield than ordinary or yield depends on how we fetilise the land also one more query is it G9 more desease resist than Ealakki
Your point is valid that, if you take care of your land,irrigation facility and child like love to plants,it bears lot of weightage.A job sincerely done and another job casually done produces different results.Regarding yield G-9 has superiority over other varieties in the sense that its plant size remains within reasonable limits and lets other co-plants survive in the vicinity.The ideal banana ratio in one acre having approximately 1000 plants,accordingly you can divide the number of papaya and banana plants in 1:1 ratio in the rows where both crops are grown.In brief plant one row of banana and another row of papaya and this way have 500 plants of each variety in one acre.
Inter-cropping will do wonders for banana plantation. I have about 2 acres yelakki almost ready to yield and another 2 acres in 4months stage. Another 2 acres am planning to plant in a week or so.
You can grow papaya as well as marigold as intercrops. In fact non-cucurbieta is recommended due to pests. Marigold prevents most diseases for banana plantation in my experience of last 1 yr. I will post the pictures in the picture thread by the end of this week.
I have NOT used chemicals at all, just FYM, little compost, panchagavya and now jivamruta once i started following palekar books.
In terms of spacing, its ideal to go for about 8 feet spacing and plant papaya in the middle and marigold in the same row space as banana. Once marigold harvest is done, just leave the plants as it is for mulching.
Papaya needs to be taken care with proper spraying of agniastra, neemastra. And also jivamruta can be utilized for upkeep and growth
Hi Viranjan tax for your reply Actully I am also from Gauribidanur I am working at Banglore my Farm is near Sugar Factory i.e . In Banglore high way. where is your Farm if possibel I wl contact yoy this weekend. My no :9741085135 if u share your no i wl cal u back.
Even my farm is near gauribindanur in machenahalli limits. Call me when you are in that part of the town. send me an email, we’ll syn up during the weekend when i will mostly be visiting. For sure this weekend i will be there.