Effect of Silicon Fertilization on Agro-Morphological Traits of Grand Naine Banana Grown in Typic Ustifluvent Soil

Aims: Banana is the fifth largest agricultural commodity in the world trade after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa and second largest fruit crop in the world. The main objective of the study is to know the performance of banana to silicon fertilization grown in typic ustifluvent soil.

Study Design: The experiment was conducted in randomized block design. The test crop banana var Grand Naine.

Place and Duration of Study: Rajagopalapuram village under Kuttallam taluk, Tamilnadu, India

Between July to October 2016

Methodology: The experiment consisted of ten treatments viz., T1-NPK (RDF), T2-NPK+Potassium silicate (FS)- 0.25%,T3-NPK+Potassium silicate (FS)-0.50%,T4-NPK+Potassium silicate (FS)-1.00%,T5-NPK+Potassium silicate (FS)-0.25%,T6 -NPK+ Potassium silicate (FS)-0.50%,T7­-NPK+ Potassium silicate (FS)-1.00%,T8-NPK+Potassium silicate (SA)-50kgha-1,T9-NPK + Potassium silicate (SA)-100 kg ha-1 and T10 -NPK + Potassium silicate (SA)-150 kg ha-1. T2 to T4 foliar spray was done at 3rd and 5th month and from T5 toT7, foliar spray was done at 3rd, 5th and 7th month. Growth, yield parameters and banana yield were recorded.

Results: The outcome was that soil application of silicon recorded higher growth and yield compared to foliar application. Pseudo stem height, Pseudo stem girth, LAI, chlorophyll content, sucker production and leaf dry matter weight, fruit characters viz., bunch weight and length, number of hands/ bunches, number of fingers / hands, total number of fingers/ bunches, finger weight, length and girth were highest with soil application of 50 kg Si ha-1. Similarly, foliar application of silicon at 1% applied at 3rd and 5th recorded the highest morphological and fruit characters compared to 0.25 and 0.5% Si. The highest fruit yield ((96.0 t ha-1) was noticed with 50 kg Si ha-1 followed by foliar spray of 1% Si applied at 3rd and 5th month (92.7 t ha-1).

Conclusion: It is concluded that soil application of 50 kg Si ha-1 through potassium silicate is best followed by foliar spray of 1.0% Si for realizing higher banana productivity.