Banana plant growth. 2. Dry matter production, leaf area and growth analysis

Abstract

The quantitative aspects of banana plant growth (omitting roots) at Alstonville, New South Wales, are described. Dry matter distribution, leaf area index (L), net assimilation rate (E), leaf area ratio (F) and relative growth rates (R), were measured. For a spring planting, only 1695 kg ha-l dry matter were produced in the first twelve months but 6780 kg were produced in the first half of the second year as the bunch and first ratoon crop developed. The plant crop was characterized by early leaf growth (high F) whereas in the ratoon crops, corm growth was a feature of early growth stages. Leaf area index was less than 1 for the first twelve months but reached 5 after 18 months. Plants were 3.1 m X 1.9 m apart. Net assimilation rate was affected by internal and external factors. The main internal control was the growth of suckers, which tended to increase E. Removal of the suckers in autumn or winter caused a sudden drop i i ~ E and absolute growth rate but when they were removed in early summer E was increased. The external controls affecting E were solar radiation, temperature and soil moisture, although the amount of variation explained in correlations was low. - R appeared to be constant in the plant crop within morphologically defined growth stages. This was not so in moon crops and R was probably a resultant of ontogenetic and climatic drifts. Desuckering in autumn and winter decreased R. Early summer desuckering increased R.