Feedback: Best practices in tissue culture banana farming

FARMING TISSUE CULTURE BANANAS

I am George, a farmer in Machakos County with an interest in tissue culture banana farming. Please advise on:
The variety best suited for this area

Bananas can grow in most regions of the country. Giant cavendish, Grand nain and Mbogoya are good ripening varieties while Uganda green is a good cooking variety

Where can I get seedlings?
You can get tissue culture banana seedlings from Kalro, Thika.

What are the best growing practices for maximum yields?

Hole preparation: Dimensions depend on the potential of the area. In arid areas, large holes are needed: 120cm x 120cm x 120cm. In moderately wet areas, smaller holes — 60cm x 60cm x 60cm.

Hole filling: Holes should be up to 2/3 full. The top 1/3 is left to create a basin for water collection and will be subsequently filled with debris.

A pesticide to curtail nematodes may be applied during hole filling. In some countries, planting is done in furrows.

Spacing: It depends on the cultivars, environmental conditions, water and soil fertility. Dwarf cultivars are usually spaced closer than giant ones.
Dwarf cultivars: 2.7m x 2.7m
Medium cultivars: 3m x 3m
Giant cultivars: 3.6m x 3.6m

Fertilisation: To maintain optimum productivity, regular fertiliser practices need to be followed. During planting, 250g/plant of DSP is applied in the planting holes. 100 — 125g of CAN/plant or its equivalent after plant establishment.

Yearly application of manure of potash (110g/plant) is recommended. Remember that the rates may vary based on soil and tissue analysis. Manure can also be applied at a rate of about 30-60kg/stool every two years.

Pruning: It helps to control pests like weevils, extend the lifespan of the orchard, improve yield performance, spread the time bunches will be obtained and to dictate market availability of the bunches. Pruning involves removal of excess suckers, stripping and also determining which suckers will come into bearing when and in what order.

Weeding: Ensure that the field is kept weed-free. Care should be taken when cultivating to avoid damaging feeder roots.
Other operations include:

Deflowering

This is a procedure performed when fruits are about to reach maturity. It involves removal of dried-up pistils still clinging to the banana fingers. If these are left, they can be sporulation grounds for fungi during wet weather.

Propping

It is an essential operation in giant and medium height cultivars that produce large bunches.

The operation involves placing Y-shaped props at the throat of the pseudostem to support the excess weight caused by the bunch. If not done, the stems lodge.

Earthing up

The operation is taken care of during weeding. It involves pulling soil towards the stool. It helps provide support and encourages the growth of vigorous suckers.

Removal of the male parts

The male part of the fruit bunch usually hangs on as the bunch develops. This should be removed before maturity to avoid creating an alternative sink for metabolites/ nutrients.

Bagging/bunch covering

Polyethylene bunch covers (30-40 micrometre thick) are used to cover the bunches to improve yields and maintain quality.

Some covers are impregnated with pesticides to reduce thrip damage. The covers produce a microclimate around the bunch (increased temperature 0.5 — 1.50c and high relative humidity).

They also prevent fingers from being chafed by leaves and covered in dust.

Carol Mutua,
Department of crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.

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MY AVOCADO FLOWERS ARE WILTING FAST

I live in Ongata Rongai and I have planted a few avocado trees. The plants generally flower very well but the flowers wilt and die. What is the problem and the remedy?

Charles Kariuki

Avocado trees produce one or two million flowers in a single flowering period, although only about 200-300 fruits mature. Avocado cultivars are grouped into two classes based on their flowering behaviour:

Class A: Flowers open in the morning for 2-3 hours, functioning as females with a white stigma while the stamens remain closed. The flowers close at approximately noon and reopen the following day in afternoon hours for 3-4 hours, functioning then as males with the stigmas no longer functioning.

Class B: Flowers open in the afternoon as females, the stamens remaining closed. These flowers close in the evening and reopen the next morning as males.

This phenomenon is called Protogyny, diurnally synchronous dichogamy. It is common when warm weather prevails during flowering.

Hass avocado belongs to Type A cultivar while Fuerte is type B, therefore, intercropping the two cultivars will increase the chances of pollination as long as insect pollinators are available.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.

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PURPLE HIBISCUS SEEDLINGS

Kindly advise me on where I can get purple hibiscus seedlings.

Sarah Alfred

Please contact Lavington Plant Centre on 0714080532. They have the seedlings.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.

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MAKING FRUIT JAM

I have always wanted to process fruit jam and peanut butter for commercial purposes. My concern has been on food safety and the best preservatives to use if necessary or if there are options of natural preservatives.

Do you have a department where you offer tailored advice for specific products and possibly testing for food safety?

Bernard

Fruit jam is a natural preserve. It has a high sugar concentration and low pH, which naturally act as a means of preserving the jam keeping it safe from contamination from microorganisms.

Maintain very high standards of hygiene as well as good manufacturing processes right from the fruit selection point to packaging of the jam to be able to obtain high safety standards.

Please note that for jam, hot-filling is the recommended way of packaging as a measure of safety. Use of preservatives if necessary should be minimal.

Since jam is a high sugar product, Sorbic acid is safe. Kindly visit Egerton University, Division of Research and Extension, or the Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology for more information and tailored advice.

Ruth Kavaya,
Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology,
Egerton University.

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IMPRESSIVE HASS AVOCADO YIELDS

I read the impressive yields of Hass avocados in the July 6 issue as outlined by Carol Mutua from Egerton University.

Kindly confirm if this was per fruiting season and how many fruiting seasons are there per year? When is it best to prune avocado trees?

David Bor, Kericho

Yes, the yields were per fruiting season and Hass variety has two seasons in a year. Normally, no pruning is required besides the removal of broken and diseased branches and trimming those touching the ground. Sucker growth is checked to remove shoots coming out of the rootstock.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.

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STRAWBERRY GROWING

How long does strawberry seedlings take to mature and where can I get them?

Mbau Kamau, Nyandarua

Strawberry seedlings take 60-90 days to start producing fruits depending on the variety. You can get them from Kalro, Thika or Strawberry Farm, on 0723701237.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.