Effect of Inorganic Fertilizers on Leaf Mineral Content of Plantain (CV. Nendran) and on the Nutritional Status of Studied Soil

Abstract:
Nendran is the popular variety grown commercially in different regions due to its wider adaptability and high degree of tolerance to drought in a perennial cropping system and is the leading commercial cultivar of Kerala. A field experiment was laid out in randomised block design with ten treatments and three replications consisting of nitrogen and potassium at different combinations to know their nutrient concentrations in banana leaves and soil at different growth periods viz., vegetative stage, flowering stage and harvesting stage. The treatment N250P80K400 grams/plant was recorded significantly higher leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium during 9th month of vegetative stage (3.36, 0.5 and 4.37% respectively), shooting (2.94, 0.45 and 3.39% respectively), fruiting (2.67, 0.41 and 2.4% respectively) and harvesting stages (2.35, 0.36 and 2.03% respectively) than other treatments. Treatment T9 (N250P80K400 grams/plant) recorded significantly highest leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (384.71, 39.67 and 999.70 kg/ha respectively) during vegetative stage (9th month), shooting (371.71, 28.69 and 1271.71 kg/ha respectively), fruiting (303.85, 24.25 and 1084.96 kg/ha respectively) and harvesting stage (249.35, 23.91 and 894.56 kg/ha respectively) than untreated plants T10. The highest micro nutrients were noted in T9 in all the stages and Nendran supplemented through inorganic fertilizers @ N250P80K400 can be recommended as optimum dose for this region.

Keywords:
Banana, Plantain, Nendran, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Leaf.

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