The yield response of bananas to supplementary watering

Abstract

The Giant Cavendish banana variety Williams growing on a red clay loam (krasnozem) soil, was used to study yield response to sprinkler irrigation from 1967 to 1970, at the Alstonville Tropical Fruit Research Station. Irrigation treatments were applied when moisture deficits fell to 90, 80, 60, and 30 per cent of available water capacity (AWC). Non-irrigated control plots were also included in the experiment. Bunch number, fruit weight, hand and finger number and finger length all increased significantly (P < 0.001 ) with decreased moisture deficit. The most effective treatment (minimum of 90 per cent AWC) involved the application of 7.7 mm of water every three to five days during dry periods and produced about double the yield of the non-irrigated treatment.