Dear readers, in the agricultural systems destined to banana production, the propagation is carried out through direct sowing using vegetative seeds, coming from the rhizome also known by the name of corm, said corm has buds that are capable of producing sprouts, however some producers mention that there are some corms or small buds weighing less than 500 gr that have all the potential to produce a plant or a cluster of optimal quality; but when sowing them directly in the field there are few probabilities that they will sprout and continue with all their growth and production process, Palencia, Gomez and Martin, (2006), point out that the corms must be in a range between 0.7 and 2 kilograms in weight for direct sowing in the field.
In that sense, there is an alternative that consists of producing plants in nursery conditions, which in addition to taking advantage of small seeds also represents a great alternative for those agroecological areas with prolonged summer periods in which plantain plantations are affected by drought and consequently must be replanted with the arrival of the rainy period, with the nursery strategy the farmer at the time of planting could have plants of optimal quality in terms of vigor and health.
In this same order of ideas, applying this propagation technology is implemented with the need to increase productivity and for this, an efficient form of agronomic management must be implemented that allows the growth of the corms in this way to guarantee the producer an increase in the production of this crop and therefore improve their income.
Public domain image taken from Commons.wikimedia
On the other hand, the southern area of Lake maracaibo has sometimes been hit by strong winds, which drastically reduce the cultivation of the crop since the plants tend to tip over; making it necessary the constant reseeding and even complete renovations for which it is necessary to have an adequate supply of seed, uniform and of good vigor and that guarantees a rapid development of the plantation. Currently there is a tendency to manage the crop, sowing in high densities for which a fairly large availability of seeds is needed.
Next, we will share some aspects to establish a banana nursery in agricultural ecosystems
The nurseries should be located in the area intended for planting preferably in the center of the land, otherwise it should be developed as close as possible to the place intended for planting in order to reduce operational expenses. In case the terrain has unevenness, the corresponding corrections must be made and also make a network of channels that allow adequate drainage of water when there is high rainfall.
| Seed management in nursery |
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Seed selection: only the corms that have a weight between 300 and 500 grams that do not present, any type of injuries or diseases are chosen.
Seed cleaning: it consists of the removal of the rootlets without causing major injuries to the corm or bud causing stimulation of it.
Seed disinfection: The seeds will be immersed in an insecticide and nematicide solution for a few minutes to eliminate any pathogens.
Filling the bag and sowing the seed: to carry out this work, the following steps must be taken into account:
Then the bag is filled halfway.
Then it is given a shake in order to remove empty spaces.
Then the seed will be introduced ensuring that it is in a vertical position.
Then the bag is finished filling, trying to cover the seed with about two centimeters of soil.
| Transfer of plants from the nursery to the field |
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This step must be carried out with great care since, the success of the plants in the field will depend on the management that is given. It is recommended to take into account the following:
Do not throw the plant against the platform or the ground when raising or lowering them from the transport.
If the vehicle that takes the plants to the ground does not have a tarpaulin that protects them from the wind, it must go as slowly as possible.
If these recommendations are met, both the roots and the leaves will not suffer significant damage.
| Planting seedlings in the field |
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Once the plants have been placed in the field and distributed throughout the land, they will be sown:
- The bag breaks.
- The plant is introduced into the hollow.
- It is covered by exerting a slight pressure to eliminate empty spaces.
- It is recommended to fertilize at the time of sowing or 15 days after it.
Dear readers, although it is not very common to establish a banana nursery in our geographical area, this turns out to be an alternative that should not be discarded especially to take advantage of the type of seed that has been mentioned in the article, we hope that the information is useful for all of you.
Palencia, G.; Gómez, R. and Martín J.(2006).Sustainable management of banana cultivation.Bogota: Colombia
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