Vol. 7, Issue 8 (2018)

Author(s):
Pamidi Suryanarayana, Chintamani Panda and Subhrajyoti Mishra

Abstract:
An experiment on the field performance of different macro-propagated cultivars of banana (Musa spp L.) was carried out at the field of the AICRP on Tropical Fruits (Banana) located at the Horticulture Research Station, O U A T, Bhubaneswar during 2016-2017. The experiment comprised of eight treatments replicated thrice and planted at a spacing of 2×2 m following recommended package of practices. Observations on different morphological and yield attributing characters were studied critically. The result revealed that none of the genotypes was superior for all traits studied. However among the macro propagated type, performance of Grand Naine was better as compared to other genotype with regards to the maximum plant height (189.57 cm), plant girth (63.93 cm), life period of leaf (42.19), emergence of new plant (4.52), days taken from emergence to full unfurling of leaf (22.16 days), number of leaves produced till flag leaf (44.39), number of days taken to produce flag leaf (229.62 days), length of the leaf (152.45 cm), width of leaf (61.04 cm), number of leaves present at shooting (12.30), no of fingers/hand (13.09), finger weight (133.67 g), number of hands per bunch(14.2), hand weight (1.750 kg), bunch weight (24.85 kg) and yield (49.68 t/ha). The cultivar Bantal produces the fingers at par in weight with Grand Naine (133.67) and the Champa produces highest number of fingers per bunch (15.5) whereas the bunch weight (9.8 kg) is less due to small size fingers. Hence the Grand Naine is a superior genotype under the coastal agro-climactic condition of Odisha with early bunching habits (260 days).