Response of plant and ratoon crop plantain to potassium fertilization in the tropical rain forest zone of Nigeria

摘要

Nutrient potassium is critical in plantain (Musa spp. cv. AAB) nutrition and may play a key role in its vegetative growth and bunch development. Growth 0f both plant and ratoon crops was enhanced by application of 400 kg k20 /ha. Tallest plants were 350cm tall with thickest trunks or pseudostem (56 -58 cm thick) girth, had highest (11- 12) number of functional leaves/plant at flowering and attained the booting stage after nine months of vegetative growth. Application of 300 kg muriate of potash (K20) per hectare to the plant crop and 400 kg K20/ha to the ratoons significantly (P = 0.05) influenced the bunch yield and yield components (number of hands and fingers/bunch, finger mass, girth and length). Bunch yield increased with increasing K20 rates applied. Highest bunch yield increases of 5.86 and 6.00 tonnes/ha were obtained by fertilizing the plant and ratoon crops with 300 and 400 kg k20/ha, respectively. Heaviest bunches were 8.8 and 9.8 kg/plant in plant and ratoon crops, giving the respective corresponding bunch yields of 15.7 and 16.3 tonnes/ha. An application of 300 kg K20/ha to the plant crop and 400 kg K20/ha at the ratoon stage would be adequate for sustainable productivity of False Horn plantain in the high rainforest zone of Cross River State, Nigeria.