Response of Plantains to Banded and Broadcast N and to P Applications at Planting and to Residual P on an Ultisol

Abstract

Two consecutive plantain crops were harvested from an experiment on an Ultisol with high P-fixing capacity, designed to measure the response of plantains to various levels of banded or broadcast N and to P applications at planting, as well as to residual P. N and Mg deficiencies were observed in plants from the O-N plots and verified through leaf tissue analysis. Data on yields from the plant crop can be summarized as follows: Bunch weight was significantly higher from plants receiving 224 kg/ha of banded N than from plants receiving the same amount of broadcast N. Number of fruits and weight of fingers in the third hand were also significantly higher from the 224 kg/ha banded N treatment than from the O-N. No difference as to number of fruits per bunch was measured at the same N levels either banded or broadcast. Bunch and fruit weights increased with increments in P fertilizer from 0 to 56 kg/ha applied at planting or with 179 kg/ha of residual P. Lack of P reduced weight and pulp content in the fingers of the third hand. Data on the ratoon crop reveal no effect of N on bunch weight and no response to P fertilizer. The ratoon crop yielded only 13% less than the plant crop. Over 300,000 fruits/ha were harvested from the two crops.