1. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana

2. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Importance
Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient required for all growth processes.
Nitrogen is a part of chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plant (Fig.), that is responsible for photosynthesis.
Nitrogen helps plants with rapid growth, better quality of leaf and increased fruit production.

3. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Role of Nitrogen
Nitrogen is present in all living cells and is an essential component of amino acids, chlorophyll, DNA and enzymes.
Nitrogen stimulates root development and is the chief promoter of growth.
A healthy robust vegetative frame is an essential pre-requisite for high yields and nitrogen is mainly responsible for such a vegetative frame.

4. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Role of Nitrogen
Nitrogen induces the vegetative growth of pseudo stem.
Nitrogen promotes leaf growth giving them desired color.
Banana plants with low Nitrogen availability produce only seven leaves against 17 leaves produced by banana plants supplied with adequate Nitrogen.

5. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Role of Nitrogen
It was observed that greater the number of healthy and large leaves produced during the first 4-6 months, larger will be the size of fruit bunch.
Nitrogen influences the longitudinal growth of petioles.
Nitrogen increases the bunch grade, and sucker production..

6. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms
Nitrogen is perhaps the most important limiting factor for growth and development of banana.
Nitrogen deficiency causes slow growth and paler leaves with reduced leaf area and rate of leaf production.
If Nitrogen is deficient in banana, the leaves take 23 days for unfolding against 10 days for the leaves of banana supplied with Nitrogen.

7. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms
Yellowing of leaves and stunted plants are typical symptoms of Nitrogen deficiency.
Yellowing of leaves
Stunted plant growth

8. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms
The older leaves show signs of chlorosis (severe yellowing of leave margins).
The development of pink color on the underside of midribs and leaf petioles are initial stages of nitrogen deficiency.
Severe yellowing of leaf margins

9. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms
Leaf petioles are short, thin and compressed.
Thin and profuse roots, and lesser number of suckers are produced due to lack of Nitrogen.
Phosphorus uptake is higher due to N deficiency.

10. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen recommendation
An early application of nitrogen induce vigorous leaf growth and result in higher leaf area index during the early phase of growth.
Higher leaf area is considered as the prime importance for obtaining higher yield.

11. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen recommendation
Soil test based fertilizers application in banana
Primary Nutrients
Total Nutrient requirement (per plant)
Total fertilizer required (spacing 1.8 X 1. 5 m;1452 plants/ac)
Nitrogen (N)
200 g/plant
625.0 kg/ac
Phosphorus (P)
60 g/plant
kg/ac
Potassium (K)
250 g/plant.
602.0 kg/ac
Source:

12. Role and Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Banana
Nitrogen recommendation
Tissue analysis based fertilizers application in banana
Primary Nutrients
At emergence
After
2 months
4 months
At sucker set 4
months
Nitrogen (N)
80 g
80g
96g
48g
Phosphorus (P) 40
Nil
Potassium (K)
170
Source: