Development of the “Piña” variety banana cultivated with an organic system

Abstract

The "Piña" variety banana is produced and marketed in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico. Information on the development of this variety is scarce. The objective of this work was to determine the development of the banana variety "Piña" grown under the organic system. Using 44 plants per treatment, divided into four rows of 11 plants each, the development of the plants was studied with two biofertilization strategies: 1) compost 5 kg per plant, biol 2 L per plant and 2) compost 5 kg per plant, biol 4 L per plant. The compost was used every 56 days and the biol every 7 days. The plant height, pseudostem perimeter, number of leaves, number of suckers, and nutritional status (SPAD) determinations of leaves 4 and 6 were made every 14 days until the flowering of the first plants. The biofertilized plants with the highest amount of biol reached the maximum height in less time, faster growth rate, greater pseudostem perimeter, greater number of shoots and flourished first. Between the plants of the two treatments, no differences were found in the number of maximum functional leaves, and at flowering, and the nutritional status of leaves 4 and 6.