BANANA FARMING
A THREAD
Banana farming is a lucrative venture that anyone with resources and commercial interest in farming should venture.
Kenya is among the largest banana producers globally with estimated annual production of 1.4 million metric tons.
It ranks 4th after rice
A THREAD
Banana farming is a lucrative venture that anyone with resources and commercial interest in farming should venture.
Kenya is among the largest banana producers globally with estimated annual production of 1.4 million metric tons.
It ranks 4th after rice
Benefits include:
Source of vitamin B6 and C, manganese, potassium, starch n fibre.
There's a high demand of bananas in Kenya n deficit in supply.
Much is imported from Uganda
Areas that lead in production are Meru, Kirinyaga, Embu, Kisii, bungoma, vihiga, Busia, Taita
Source of vitamin B6 and C, manganese, potassium, starch n fibre.
There's a high demand of bananas in Kenya n deficit in supply.
Much is imported from Uganda
Areas that lead in production are Meru, Kirinyaga, Embu, Kisii, bungoma, vihiga, Busia, Taita
The most common varieties include:
Williams, Cavendish, Grandnain, Giant and Dwarf Cavendish, Uganda Green, Ng'ombe, Sweet bananas and others considered indigenous varieties.
Most farmers rely on propagation through suckers. However, tissue culture is gaining popularity.
Williams, Cavendish, Grandnain, Giant and Dwarf Cavendish, Uganda Green, Ng'ombe, Sweet bananas and others considered indigenous varieties.
Most farmers rely on propagation through suckers. However, tissue culture is gaining popularity.
Having established my banana plantation, I have noted a number of things.
Bananas are the easiest to propagate as long as you have a healthy rhizome.
Before venturing into banana farming note that it is a high feeder and needs good supply of manure, fertilizer and reliable water
Bananas are the easiest to propagate as long as you have a healthy rhizome.
Before venturing into banana farming note that it is a high feeder and needs good supply of manure, fertilizer and reliable water
To plant bananas, you need either suckers, rhizomes or tissue culture seedlings.
Normally, I use all the three options depending on need and variety.
If you are interested in large volumes maturing uniformly at same time, go for rhizomes and tussue culture seedlings.
Why?
Normally, I use all the three options depending on need and variety.
If you are interested in large volumes maturing uniformly at same time, go for rhizomes and tussue culture seedlings.
Why?
Suckers will have different sizes and ages so will not give uniform growth and maturity.
Suckers entail separating daughters from mother stems and planting them directly.
Tissue culture involves either using mother tissues to produce seedlings from the lab or nursery.
Disinfect.
Suckers entail separating daughters from mother stems and planting them directly.
Tissue culture involves either using mother tissues to produce seedlings from the lab or nursery.
Disinfect.
I gave a thread on tissue culture and how you can easily propagate to ensure you get uniform seedlings at your farm without having to buy them.
For rhizomes, simply take a sucker and cut off the stem trimming all leaves to remain with the base for planting.
Wash and disinfect
For rhizomes, simply take a sucker and cut off the stem trimming all leaves to remain with the base for planting.
Wash and disinfect
If you need your bananas to produce many daughters in a short time, use rhizome technique.
Once you have cut the main stem, kill it by incision and gorge it off until you completely kill the bud and remain with a shallow hole of about 1 inch in the rhizome.
Killing the main stem
Once you have cut the main stem, kill it by incision and gorge it off until you completely kill the bud and remain with a shallow hole of about 1 inch in the rhizome.
Killing the main stem
Ensures the rhizome signals replication of buds, breaking their dormancy and producing many new suckers around it. This gives uniform but many suckers and you can cut some off to plant elsewhere if more than 5 per rhizome.
Deficiency, fungal, bacterial n viral diseases are many
Deficiency, fungal, bacterial n viral diseases are many
PLANTING:
To get the best sized fruits requires some tricks.
This is how we do it at @SeruyaFarm :
We dig holes of about 3x3 feet and 2 to 3 feet deep.
The number of holes per acre, size and alignment depends on your strategic interest in the bananas.
Long, medium or short term
To get the best sized fruits requires some tricks.
This is how we do it at @SeruyaFarm :
We dig holes of about 3x3 feet and 2 to 3 feet deep.
The number of holes per acre, size and alignment depends on your strategic interest in the bananas.
Long, medium or short term
If you have short term commercial interests in the plantation, dont go for the 3x3x3. Just dig 1 foot hole and plant your bananas. Reduce the dimensions in the spacing to have maximum numbers of stems.
Here 1 acre can have 2500 stems.
You harvest once and clear.
Here 1 acre can have 2500 stems.
You harvest once and clear.
Midterm interest, do 2x2x2 feet and space to get 1600 stems.
For long term, target 500 to 1000 stems. Here 3x3x3 pits ensure your banana plantation doesn't age fast and can last for years.
The methods of planting and spacing include square, triangular, trenching, pit, and furrow.
For long term, target 500 to 1000 stems. Here 3x3x3 pits ensure your banana plantation doesn't age fast and can last for years.
The methods of planting and spacing include square, triangular, trenching, pit, and furrow.
Once the holes are dug and spacing done as needed, we leave the holes open for at least 1 month exposing them to sunlight.
I put 5 spades of farm manure in each hole and spread it evenly. I then cover it with 5 spades of top soil.
Then I mix another farm manure with npk.
I put 5 spades of farm manure in each hole and spread it evenly. I then cover it with 5 spades of top soil.
Then I mix another farm manure with npk.
Use 1kg of DAP for every 1 wheelbarrow and mix with 1/2 wheelbarrow of top soil.
I then put the seedling, rhizome or sucker on top of the soil that I first added to cover the first manure in the hole.
I use the above mixture to cover and hold the plant in position and harden it
I then put the seedling, rhizome or sucker on top of the soil that I first added to cover the first manure in the hole.
I use the above mixture to cover and hold the plant in position and harden it
The first deposit of manure ensures that the ground remains both moist and fertile so that the roots do not get out of the soil looking for water and nutrients.
Farm manure has a good water retention ability and acts as mulch.
The mixter above will be infiltrating nutrients
Farm manure has a good water retention ability and acts as mulch.
The mixter above will be infiltrating nutrients
Feeding the banana and ensuring the surface remains fertile as the banana grows.
When mulching, do not cover the stems. Put 1 foot away.
Covering the stem makes it moist and this attracts the roots to grow upwards in search of water.
This affects the productivity of the banana.
When mulching, do not cover the stems. Put 1 foot away.
Covering the stem makes it moist and this attracts the roots to grow upwards in search of water.
This affects the productivity of the banana.
Supply water regularly, if not in rainfed areas as bananas require a lot of water.
Weed and topdress compost manure and NPK 17:17:17 after every 6 months as bananas are heavy feeders.
Nutrients: Nitrogen 750g, phosphorus 300g, potassium 600g.
Prune.
Have 4/5 suckers per family
Weed and topdress compost manure and NPK 17:17:17 after every 6 months as bananas are heavy feeders.
Nutrients: Nitrogen 750g, phosphorus 300g, potassium 600g.
Prune.
Have 4/5 suckers per family
It should have 4 daughters of different ages and the mother making it 5.
Good banana varieties will start flowering at 8 months and mature at 10 to 12 months putting on large bunches.
Indigenous varieties will take up to 18 months or more and put on small bunches.
Spray folia.
Good banana varieties will start flowering at 8 months and mature at 10 to 12 months putting on large bunches.
Indigenous varieties will take up to 18 months or more and put on small bunches.
Spray folia.
While it has flowered, cut off the tip which is the red/maroon thing (inflorescence) at 6 inches from the last bunch and remove the female flowers to avoid infections.
Cutting the tip ensures that the nutrients are not wasted and your banana fingers fatten well.
Also...
Cutting the tip ensures that the nutrients are not wasted and your banana fingers fatten well.
Also...
You can fertilize the bunch by dissolving urea fertilizer in water, put in a nylon paperbag and tie on the cut part dipping it into the solution. The fruit will be sucking the urea from this solution and fattening.
This technique is not known to many but can do you wonders. 😊
This technique is not known to many but can do you wonders. 😊
I support them with tree or bamboo poles so that they dont fall from the weight of the bunches n interfering with others.
This also ensures that the banana fattens without straining the stem.
Remember, banana has a pseudostem so it's very weak to support over 50kgs of its bunch
This also ensures that the banana fattens without straining the stem.
Remember, banana has a pseudostem so it's very weak to support over 50kgs of its bunch
Harvest bananas when still green as delays would make them reach the market when ripe leading to losses.
On harvesting, hold the fruit as you cut off the stem and wrap in leaves to avoid damage.
On harvesting, hold the fruit as you cut off the stem and wrap in leaves to avoid damage.
Banana weevils are a serious menace to banana farming.
The weevils lay eggs that hatch and pierce through the stem into the rhizome making various holes thereby killing the banana or reducing yield.
Chemicals are not so effective in this and so control is difficult.
The weevils lay eggs that hatch and pierce through the stem into the rhizome making various holes thereby killing the banana or reducing yield.
Chemicals are not so effective in this and so control is difficult.
To prevent weevils, cut all dry leaves and keep stems clean.
When you harvest bananas, lay traps for weevils by cutting the stem into pieces, splitting and putting it 1 foot away from the growing bananas.
These act as traps for weevil where they burrow in laying eggs.
When you harvest bananas, lay traps for weevils by cutting the stem into pieces, splitting and putting it 1 foot away from the growing bananas.
These act as traps for weevil where they burrow in laying eggs.
Open the traps after 2 weeks and kill the weevils under them.
Make it a habit.
Look out for army worms that eat leaves of young bananas. Pick and kill or spray with recommended insecticides
Welcome to @SeruyaFarm
#COVID19
#covid19kenya
#foodsecurity
#KOTLoyals
#ClimateChange
Make it a habit.
Look out for army worms that eat leaves of young bananas. Pick and kill or spray with recommended insecticides
Welcome to @SeruyaFarm
#COVID19
#covid19kenya
#foodsecurity
#KOTLoyals
#ClimateChange
For those who missed the thread on banana Cultivars, don't be left out.
Find the thread in the link below.
👇👇
Very easy to follow steps.
#AgriTech
#savageremix
#COVID19
#ThursdayThoughts
#workingfromhome
#raila
#OneNationAtHome
#RIPLegend
Find the thread in the link below.
👇👇
Very easy to follow steps.
#AgriTech
#savageremix
#COVID19
#ThursdayThoughts
#workingfromhome
#raila
#OneNationAtHome
#RIPLegend
