JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2536-7072
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/JASP
Start Year: 2016
Email: jasp@integrityresjournals.org
Influence of planting dates and mulch application on the productivity of late season banana in Owerri, Southeastern Nigeria
https://doi.org/10.31248/JASP2026.583 | Article Number: 2D25F3C33 | Vol.11 (2) - June 2026
Received Date: 20 May 2026 | Accepted Date: 29 June 2026 | Published Date: 30 June 2026
Authors: Precious Akuoma Basillia Ugo* , Izuchukwu Innocent Ibeawuchi , Ephraim Maduako Nwokeji and Rosemond Adaohuru Alagba
Keywords: productivity, planting dates, Banana, late season, mulch materials
A study to determine the influence of planting dates and mulch application on the productivity of late season banana in Owerri, Southeastern Nigeria, was carried out at the teaching and research farm of Federal University of Technology, Owerri Research Farm. A split plot design was used for the experiment, with the main plots comprised of three planting dates of 1st of September, October and November in each case and the sub-plot treatments comprised of six mulch types, namely: black polyethene, wood shavings, sawdust, palm bunch refuse, trash and the unmulched plots (control plots). The three main plot treatments were randomised within each main block, and the sub-plot treatments were randomised within each main plot. The land was cleared and prepared manually, using a planting depth of 60 x 60 x 60 cm in a planting distance of 2 x 3 m. Growth and yield data of banana were collected and analysed using Genstat, while mean separation was done using the least significant differences (LSD) at 5% level of probability. The results obtained revealed that planting dates and mulch materials significantly (p<0.05) improved the late season banana productivity. Bananas in plots planted in September and mulched with palm bunch refuse recorded the earliest days to 50% flowering in the plant crop (268.90 days), while the bananas planted in September and mulched with sawdust flowered earliest (263.50 days) in the first ratoon crops. Bananas planted in September showed significant improvement in all the reproductive and yield characters, and heavier bunches were recorded in (9.97 t ha-1), number of hands per bunch (8.67), number of fingers per bunch (95.67) and the heaviest individual finger (94.67g/finger) was obtained from the bananas planted in September and mulched palm bunch refuse. Furthermore, the bananas planted in September and mulched with sawdust produced the longest and largest individual 12. 2MAP. The bananas planted in September and treated with sawdust produced the heaviest bunches (7.23 t ha-1), the highest number of hands per bunch (6.67), total number of fingers per bunch (74.00), heaviest finger (40.43 g/finger), longest finger (7.90 cm) and largest finger (5.90 cm) at harvest of the first ratoon crop. Main plant crops recorded a higher yield than the first ratoon crop production. Bananas mulched with palm bunch refuse produced the highest crop yield in the main plant crop, while those mulched with sawdust and wood shavings recorded the highest in the ratoon crop yield. Late season bananas should be mulched with palm bunch refuse, sawdust and wood shavings for increased productivity.
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