Effect of plant spacing and number of suckers on yield components and fruit quality of main crop and first four ratoons of banana clones in central Sudan

摘要

Experiments were carried out at the research farm of the National Institute for the Promotion of Horticultural Exports (NIPHE), University of Gezira, Wad Madani, Sudan, during the period of January 2001-April 2004 to study the effects of plant spacingand number of suckers on crop cycles, yield and fruit quality of the main crop and the first four ratoons of introduced banana clones 'William's Hybrid 172' (WH) and 'Grand Nain 1824' (GN) in comparison to the local clone 'Dwarf Cavendish' (DC). Plant spacing was 2x2, 2x3, and 3x3 m. The selected suckers were 2, 3, or 4 around the mother plant. Treatments were arranged in a split-split plot design with three replicates. The introduced clones GN and WH produced significantly higher bunch weight, highertotal and exportable yields, longer fruit green life, and a lower total soluble solids (TSS) content than the local clone DC in the main crop and the ratoons. Plant spacing of 3x3 m resulted in the highest bunch weight and exportable yield, but it gave the lowest total yield in both the main crop and the ratoons in comparison to 2x2 in plant spacing. Keeping two suckers per plant resulted in the highest bunch weight, the highest total and exportable yields, longer crop cycles in the main crop and the ratoons, but longer crop cycles. However, keeping four suckers per plant produced the lowest total and exportable yields, but resulted in shorter crop cycles.