Effect of Sulphur Soil Application on Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Hindi Banana Cultivar.

Abstract

The present study was carried out during 1996 and 1997 seasons in a private orchard at Badaway near El-Mansoura. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sulphur application on growth, yield, fruit quality and nutrient status of Hindi cultivar (Musa cavendishii L.) growing in loamy soil.Addition of sulphur to normal fertilizers (NPK) significantly increased the length and girth of peseudostem and the height of the sucker. In the same time, sulphur treatments greatly improved yield and fruit quality. The best effective treatment was soil application of sulphur at a rate of 150 g/plant. Such practice increased bunch weight, number of hands and fingers. While, it decreased finger angulation. Sulphur also increased finger size, length & diameter and pulp weight. The leaf N and P content were significantly increased with increasing the rate of applied sulphur during the two seasons. But, K leaf content tended to decrease.The obtained results proved that soil application of sulphur to Hindi banana plants was very useful for improving the soil physical characteristics and increased the nutrient availability. Also, sulphur application at 150 g/plant increased banana bunch weight by about 90.8% over the untreated plants as a means of the two seasons.