1. INTERCROPPING IN BANANA NextEnd

2. INTRODUCTION Bananas are mostly grown by small and marginal farmers. With holdings less than a hectare, they can hardly be expected to raise a pure crop of banana. PreviousNextEnd

3. At the earlier stages of growth, intercrops can be easily grown inn banana plantation. Mixed cropping is also practiced in some parts of India. Paddy is also grown as mixed crop. Banana is grown as a shade plant for coffee, cocoa, rubber, orange and young mango trees in different parts of India. In west Bengal, vegetables like brinjal, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, chilli, cucurbitaceous vegetables, basella, etc., and papaya are grown. Intercropping gives additional income to the grower. PreviousNextEnd

4. Leguminous vegetables, tomato, beetroot and elephant foot yam can be grown as intercrops in the early stages of crop growth to increase the income. Growing cucurbitaceous vegetables such as ash gourd, pumpkin, watermelon, cucumber, etc. should be avoided as they also serve as alternate hosts for the infectious chlorosis virus affecting banana. PreviousNextEnd

5. Intercrops can easily be grown in banana plantation at the earlier stage of growth. In some parts of India, mixed cropping is also practiced. Planting of banana may be followed by planting of intercrops like brinjal, colocasia, turmeric, chillies, bhindi, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, maize, etc. depending on climatic conditions. PreviousNextEnd

6.  Mixed cropping of banana, arecanut, coconut is a common practice along the coastal belts of Tamilnadu.  Banana is grown as a shade plant for coffee, cocoa, rubber, young mango trees and orange in different parts of India.  Intercrops can easily be raised in banana plantation at the early stages of growth. PreviousNextEnd

7.  Radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, chilli, brinjal, colocassia, yam, dioscorea, lady's finger, basella, cucurbitaceous vegetables, marigold, tuberose are grown as Intercrops.  Mixed cropping with arecanut and coconut is a common practice in South India.  Banana is grown as a nursery crop to provide shade for young plants of on orchard. PreviousNextEnd

8. Cassava/plantain combination is one of the most efficient cropping systems. The total returns was highest in banana intercropped with bhendi followed by cluster bean, lablab and the least in pure crop of banana. Intercropping can easily be raised in banana plantation at the early stages of growth. Vegetable and flower crops like radishes, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, chilli, brinjal, lady's finger, gourds, marigold, and tuberose can be successfully grown as intercrop. Mixed cropping with arecanut coconut and cassava is a common and widely adopted practice in South India. PreviousNextEnd

9. PreviousNextEnd Onion, soya bean or cowpea can be grown as intercrop in banana by planting on raised bed which will give additional income. Growing intercrops like cowpea and soya bean also helps suppress weed growth. Intercropping of bananas affected the hands per bunch, fingers per bunch and finger weight significantly, but not the bunch weight. The associated growth of intercrops significantly reduced the girth of the pseudostem at five months after planting and increased days to shooting and days to harvesting of the bananas. Considering technical parameters banana should not have any intercrop. However you can try vegetables like onion, sunhamp, radish, French beans, carrot, and beet root for the first 3-4 months that too not near the pits or inside the pits.

10.  Legumes like beans and sun hemp may be a good option provided you monitor the pest population on them.  Aphids on these crops may act as alternate hosts and may transfer the deadly viruses such as Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) from other infected banana plantations’ in the nearby area.  As banana is a heavy feeder crop, you have to provide the fertilizers as an additional dose to the intercrops.  Legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen so they have lesser requirement of N from fertilizers.  Intercrops can easily be grown in banana plantation at the earlier stage of growth. PreviousNextEnd

11. In some parts of India, mixed cropping is also practiced. Planting of banana may be followed by planting of intercrops like brinjal, colocasia, turmeric, chillies, bhindi, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, maize, etc. depending on climatic conditions. Mixed cropping of banana, arecanut, coconut is a common practice along the coastal belts of tamilnadu. Paddy is also grown as mixed crop. Banana is grown as a shade plant for coffee, cocoa, rubber, young mango trees and orange in different parts of India. Planting of banana may be followed by planting of intercrops like brinjal, colocasia, yam, dioscorea, turmeric, chillies, okra, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, maize, cassava depending on climatic condition PreviousNextEnd

12. The crops which attract nematodes soil borne diseases should be avoided. Brinjal or cucurbits are not usually intercropped. Depending on the soil and climatic condition crops like amaranthus, chillies, okra, turmeric, yam, radish, cauliflower, cabbage and spinach are grown. Mixed cropping with arecanut and coconut is a common practice in South India. Cassava/ plantain combination is one of the most efficient cropping systems. In columbia, in about 60 percent of the banana plantations, coffee is grown as an intercrop. PreviousNext End