Evaluation of BioAg biotechnical nutrients in the production of bananas

The trial was undertaken on two 0.2ha sites in the Hooghly District in West Bengal, at Kumpur and Goalda. It commenced with planting at the former site on 18th March 2011 and the latter on 10th April 2011 and was completed with harvesting in November/December 2011. These were grower trials, with randomised plantings of trees treated according to standard district practice (recommended by Department of Agriculture, West Bengal) as the ‘control’, and two different BioAg nutrient regimes.

Trial aim

Evaluation of BioAg biostimulants in the production of Bananas in North India.

Method

The following treatments were applied at each site (approximately one third of each block for each treatment on a randomised basis).

Trial treatments

* 10kg per pit  **7kg per pit
BioAg banana blend: 10t cow manure, 1.5t BioAgPhos, 5L Soil & Seed

Results

Yield results

Conclusion

This trial has shown that BioAg programs utilising biostimulants and a combination of proprietary and mainstream fertilisers and ameliorants was able to deliver a benefit in plant vigour, in particular early growth, a reduction in time to harvest as well as improvements in the size, quality and yield of bananas. Encouragingly under a full program yields were increased by 22% with quality benefits helping to increase the financial benefit to 38% over grower standard practice.