BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant1

PHILIPPINEBANANAPRODUCTION&MARKETINGA trust to build theNative Philippine Banana IndustryPrepared by:REX A. RIVERAAgronomist & Agricultural ConsultantYear 2004BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant2TABLE OF CONTENTSCover – Title 1Table of Contents 2Introduction 3-5Ideal Conditions for Banana Growing 5Soil Requirement 5Climate Requirement 5Land Preparation and Planting 5Preparation of Planting Materials 6Planting Distance and Gross Estimated Income 7Planting Procedure 8Fertilization 8Banana Nutrient Content 8Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Banana 9General Fertilizer Rate Recommendation 9Time of Fertilization 9-10Pruning 10Thinning 10Weeding and Cultivation 10Flower and Fruit Management 11Harvesting 11-12Harvesting Procedure 12Post Harvest Handling 12-13Storage 13Pest and their Control 13-14Diseases and their Control 14-16Integrated Pest Management 17

Banana Off Types from Tissue Culture 18A Farmer’s Practice – Organic Banana Growing 18Acknowledgement 19BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant3INTRODUCTIONBanana is a tropical plant growing in all regions of the Philippine. The soiland climate of the country is suitable for its commercial production. It isconsidered as table fruit of the Philippines, since some varieties are eaten asfresh fruit while others are cooked and processed into chips, powder, souse andothers preparations.It is an annual crop that bears any time of the year, as it is non-seasonal.A very good source of income as inter crop with fruit trees. Banana is a goodsource of regular weekly or monthly income for the farmer’s family.There are 5.9million farm households depending on banana as theirsource of income. Banana is still the leading fruit crop in terms of area, volumeand value of production. The national average yield is 9.4 tons per hectare whilecorporate plantation produce 40 tons per hectare.It is a widely grown fruit in the country, planted as a component of farmingsystem or as a main crop in large plantations in Mindanao. It is an importantsource of income for small farmers who constitute 80% of the banana growers.Varieties and cultivarsOf the 80- distinct Philippine banana cultivars, Lakatan, Latundan,Bungulan and Saba/Cardaba are popularly grown for local market. Cavendish isproduced for the fresh fruit export market: Señorita and Lacatan are gainingacceptance in major importing countries; Saba/Cardaba is the chief source ofbanana chips and catsup.There are about 200 variety and strain maintained by the BPI Genebank.Among the commercially promising varieties indigenous to the Philippines areLakatan, Latundan, Saba – Cardaba, Paa, Bungulan, Amas or Señorita andMorado. Other varieties resistant to BBTV are Dalaga, Radja, Pelilia, Katsila,Abuhon, Turangkog and Dalian. Banana hybrids resistant to SIGATOKA areFHIA 1, 2 and 3.Banana marketUses of banana are multiple such as fresh o r processed like chips,catsup, wine, vinegar, flour, puree, and other cooked food and feed preparations.About 66% of production is consumed locally (16.5% for processing; 45.5% astable bananas; and 4%as animal feeds and 34% is exported.Filipino per capita consumption is 22 kilos per year. We can increase thatwith more production and priced at the purchasing power of ordinary breadearners.The pseudostem is made into handicraft items, cloths and with the sabavariety as animal feeds. Peelings of Saba are used as substrate for biogasproduction; sheets of paper and paperboard; banana fibers are manufactured asBANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant4rope (abaca variety), sacks and mat. Dried banana blossoms are used in avariety of Chinese and Filipino dishes.Foreign markets, export earnings from fresh and processed bananaaveraged US$244.13 million at 1.14 million tons of fresh banana and 19,094 tons

of chips exported in 1997 to Japan, Hong Kong, and Middle East countries arethe major importers.Under the General Agreement of Tariff and Trade (GATT), the bananaindustry can take the advantage of lower tariff in the export market. ThePhilippines ranks fifth in the international banana trade. The Philippines is theonly supplier of banana chips in the worlds, accounting to95% of the country’sannual export receipts of processed bananas over the past 5 years. Bananachips are exported to 32 countries with the USA and European EconomicCommunity (EEC) as the major importers.In Barangay Baluan, General Santos City we have a Banana chips plantwith 40 tons a day capacity, and most of the time it does not operate because oflack of saba/cardaba banana to process. Another plant at Polomolok, SouthCotabato with 50 tons daily capacity is operating only 30% of its capacity.The domestic markets of fresh banana; is dominated by middlemen andtraders, while the export market; is handled mostly by multinational Corporations.In small farms, banana are sold on a finger count basis while in commercialplantations, they are sold by weight.Some of the problems in the banana industry include:1. Wide spread occurrence of diseases, particularly bunchy-top andmosaic.2. Poor or lack of transport system, post harvest facilities, marketinformation, as well as competition from other countries.3. Unreliability of quality raw materials supply experienced by the bananachip industry. This is addre3ssed by the Mindanao fruit IndustryDevelopment council with the Saba/Cardaba growers.4. High and still increasing production cost.Price trend:1. Local prices fluctuate considering the perishable and supply of the fruit.2. Lakatan fruits command better selling price than Latundan andBungulan.3. Farm gate price of Saba/Cardaba ranging from P3.50 to P4.00 whilemarket delivered price is P4.50 to P5.00 per kilo. Bungulan andLatundan is P8 – P10 and Lacatan is P10 – P12. Undersize may belower by P2 / kilo.Market Assistance is inadequate including financing program forbanana at the farm and market levels. Hopefully with government andNGOs, farmer growers are starting to get support services. TechnicalBANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant5support is now being made available as the Banana Industry is givenpriority by NGOs and LGUs. Experts on various disciplines are drawnfrom both the government and private sectors.IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR BANANA GROWING SOIL REQUIREMENT1. Deep, friable, rich in organic matter with complete nutrient and mineralelements.2. Have adequate moisture year round and well drained.3. Soil texture may be 40% clay, 75% silt or 85 % loam.4. Soil pH ranges from 6 to 7 while 6.5 would be ideal.5. Topography: Flat to rolling lands up to 45 degrees gradient.CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT1. It needs tropical climate, plenty of sunlight to fully fruit. Shaded areas

like under the coconut; may be tolerated by some varieties, but openfields, with abundant sunlight is required for higher productivity.2. Temperature range of 22 to 31 degrees centigrade.3. Elevation: from sea level to 1,000 meters above.4. Air movement should be free to reduce pest and disease harboring inthe plantation, but sensitive to strong winds.LAND PREPARATION and PLANTINGAfter determining the site for banana planting, prepare the planting site.Banana roots are long but soft and tender. They will need soft, friable and easyto work on for nutrient root absorption and stable anchorage so plant does not falldown.1. Clear the area of trees, shrubs and weeds. Remove all stumps androcks or any material that will hinder plant growth or field operations.2. If possible deep plow and break subsoil if there is a hard pan. Thenharrow or level and grade the surface.3. For flat lands, dig drainage canals every two rows.4. Lay out the rows and stake the hills: 2.0 x 2.5 meters or 3 x 3 metersfor small varieties (amas, lakatan and latundan) and 4.0 x 5.0 metersfor big varieties (saba and cardaba).5. Dig one cubic feet or deeper (50 diameter x 30 cm deep) at theplanting site, and place 1 kilo organic and 100 grams complete fertilizerat the bottom then cover with 4 to 6 inches of fertile top soil. Sterilizeholes by burning husk or rice hull in hole.6. Planting materials: Corms, Sucker, Tissue culture and Bull-head.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant6PREPARATION OF PLANTING MATERIALSSuckers (Sword or maiden leaf)1. Suckers must be 11 to 20 cm in diameter and weigh 2.3 to 2.7 kilos.Remove the leaves, except the two youngest.2. Cut back 10 cm above the rhizomes for maiden leaf suckers.Corms1. Obtain corms from healthy large suckers that have not fruited yet,2. Use corms with cut tops 10 to 15 cm in diameter , with a minimum ofone good bud.3. Deep the corm in a solution containing fungicide (Lime sulfur) andinsecticide plus spreader sticker preferably Aloe Vera extract.4. After treating 60 corms, add 1/3 of the chemical mixture and level thesolution back to 20liter water.5. Use hand gloves and mask when dipping corms.6. Deep the corms for 5 to 10 minutes and air-dry under the shade.Use of Eyebuds as Planting MaterialsThe use of corms and suckers as planting materials is simple and withhigh germination and survival. However, these materials are bulky and costly interms of labor and transport. Dividing the corm into seedpieces with two eyebudseach increases the number of planting materials. Dividing further the seedpiecesinto one eyebud each makes them equally appropriate planting materials. Theeyebuds have germination and survival rate similar to those of the seedpiecesand have advantage of being less bulky, thereby reducing hauling and freightcosts.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERA

Agronomist, Agricultural Consultant7PLANTING DISTANCE AND GROSS ESTIMATED INCOMEPlantingDistance inmetersNo. ofHillsperHectareAverageWeightperBunchExFarmGatePriceGrossSalesAmountCost ofProduction P15 /bunchGrossProfitor NetIncomeBananaVarieties2.0 x3.01,666 8 Kg P 5 P 66,640 P 24,990 P41,650AmasSeñorita2.5 x3.01,333 10 Kg P 8 P106,640P 19,995 P86,645SeñoritaLatundan

3.0 x3.01,111 10 Kg P 8 P 88,880 P 16,665 P72,215LatundanLacatan3.0 x4.0833 12 Kg P 8 P 79,968 P 12,990 P66,978LatundanLacatan3.5 x4.0714 12 Kg P 8 P 68.544 P 10,710 P57,834LacatanBungulan3.0 x5.0666 12 Kg P 8 P 63,936 P 9,990 P53,946LatundanLacatan3.0 x6.0555 15 Kg P 8 P 66,600 P 8,325 P58,275LatundanBungulan4.0 x4.0625 15 Kg P 8 P 70,000 P 9,375 P65,625LacatanBungulan4.0 x4.0625 20 Kg P 4 P 50,000 P 9,375 P40,625SabaCardaba4.0 x5.0500 20 Kg P 4 P 40,000 P 7,500 P

32,500SabaCardaba5.0 x5.0400 20 Kg P 4 P 32,000 P 6,000 P26,000SabaCardaba5.0 x5.0400 20 Kg P 8 P 64,000 P 6,000 P58,000BungulanLacatanBANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant8Recommended distance:Saba and Cardaba 5 x 5 meters 400 per ha.Bungulan 4 x 4 meters 625 per ha.Latundan and Lacatan 3 x 3 meters 1,111 per ha.Amas and Señorita 2 x 3 meters 1,333 per ha.PLANTING PROCEDURE1. Pour water in the hole to almost full.2. Set the planting material. Plant either the whole corm or cut the corminto pieces with each piece/bit having at least one viable bud.3. Plant suckers or corms erect in the hole to about 30 cm deep.4. Cover with topsoil and press on all sides to firm up.5. Replant the ungerminated plant materials 3-4 weeks after planting.FERTILIZATIONHave the soil analyzed to determine nutrient availability and deficiency.Leaf analysis would be a better check. Natural organic fertilizers andbanana left to nature have been producing, but fertilizing them withcombination of organic and chemical fertilizers will increase their yield.BANANA NUTRIENT CONTENTNUTRIENT Quantity inplants (kilos /ha.)Quantityremoved byfruits.Quantityremaining inplants.Proportion offruit removal.N 338 189 199 49%P 52 29 23 56%K 1,438 778 660 54%Ca 227 101 126 45%

Mg 125 49 76 39%Mn 12.50 0.50 12 4%Zn 4.70 0.50 4.20 12%Banana nutrient removal: A 20 kilos bunch removes 44 grams of Nitrogen (N), 5grams Phosphorous (P) and 143.47 grams Potassium (K).BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant9NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS IN BANANANitrogen• All leaves become pale green, and petioles, midribs and leaf sheaths show areddish-pink color, leaf inter-node distance is reduced, resulting in a chokedappearance.Phosphorous• Older leaves develop serrated marginal chlorosis and the petiole breakseasily.Potassium• Older leaves develop a yellow-orange chlorosis and brown scorching alongthe leaf margin (Similar to Sigatoka).Calcium• The leaf blade (lamina) of the new leaves is deformed and almost absent(spike leaf symptom), interveinal chlorosis in the leaf margin.Magnesium• Leaf symptoms include yellowing in the mid-blade and leaf margin remaingreen, and separation of leaf sheaths from the pseudostem.Boron• Leaf curling, deformation and white streaks along the veins of the lamina.Zinc• Leaves become thin and narrow with yellow to white stripes along the veins;small twisted fingers.General fertilizer rate recommendation per hectare per year:Chemical fertilizer application: Per Hill Per HectareNitrogen (N) 0.30 – 0.50 k 300 to 500 kilosPhosphorous (P) 0.025 - 0.05 k 25 to 50 kilosPotassium (K2O) 0.35 – 0.60 k 350 to 600 kilosTrace minerals 0.005 – 0.01 k 5 to 10 kilosOrganic fertilizer 2.00 - 5.00 k 2 to 5 tonsTIME OF FERTILIZATION1. Basal application, before planting of organic and chemical fertilizer.2. Every tree months for chemical fertilizer.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant103. Once or twice a year for organic fertilizer.Work in the fertilizer into the soil by cultivating or forking around the hills sofbanana 30 to 50 centimeters from the base of the corm.a) Fertilize the plant 0.25 kg Urea (46-0-0) plus 0.25 kg Muriate of Potash(0-0-60) every 3 months in each mat to insure proper growth of bananaplants (or based on leaf or soil analysis).b) Apply fertilizer 30 to 60 c from the pseudostem in a ring or bandapplication. Then cover fertilizer with soil.c) On slopes, fertilizer must be forked in on the upper side of the plant.

PRUNINGThe removal of old leaves and cutting off of diseased portion is acontinuing pruning activity as part of sanitation and disease spread prevention.Remove dry leaf sheathes and leaves using a pruning knife attached to a longpole.• Stripping of infected and removal of nonfunctional leaves.• This reduces inoculum source of leaf diseases like Sigatoka.• Maintain 10 to 12 leaves before or during flowering.• Pseudostem and Mat Sanitation. Remove dead and dried leafsheathes.• Debell bunches immediately after false hand appearance.THININGThe removal of unwanted suckers by digging, rouging and cutting/pruningat the ground level or scooping out the growing point with a special roughingknife that scoops out the growing point. Treat the growing point with petroleum tocontrol growth. Maintain only 1 to 2 suckers per mother plant. Suckers less than1 meter high should be removed, unless you intend to use them as plantingmaterial.WEEDING and CULTIVATIONManual or mechanical weeding and cultivation are preferred andrecommended practice. This will help aerate and loosen the soil and removenoxious weeds. It will also enhance biological activity.The use of chemical herbicide is being resorted to by big corporateplantations because of limited labor supply and farm machinery. Thesechemicals affect the biological life of the soil as they do not only kill weeds butalso the beneficial fungi and bacteria living in the soil. Small landowners with lessthan 10 hectares could easily get enough labor force to do manual weeding andcultivation.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant11FLOWER AND FRUIT MANAGEMENT• Propping: When banana hills are limited to 2 to 3 suckers with themother plant and other suckers are removed, its anchorage is weaken,and the plant when it fruits is too heavy and tends to fall down.Propping banana stems with poles or tying them up to cables; arepracticed by big banana plantations. Planting bamboo groves as polesupply is recommended along the edges of banana farms.• Bunch spraying: Periodic spraying of bunches to protect them againstpests and diseases is done for susceptible varieties like Lacatan andCavaendish varieties. Cardava and Bungulan appear to by moretolerant to pest and diseases.• Deflowering: This is the removal of the heart immediately at theemergence of the last set of fingers (hands) will help prevent infectionand food nutrients will be concentrated to the development of the fruits.• Debudding / Debelling: The removal of unneeded buds would also helpchannel all food nutrients to the fruit bunch.• Bagging: Many commercial varieties are bagged to prevent the insectpests from laying eggs on them. It also keeps them clean andattractive for the market.• Ribboning, tagging or date marking: From the removal of flower afterthe last fingers emerge will commence the period and determine the

date of full maturity and harvest based on the variety, usually 100 to120 days.HARVESTING• Maturity indices:1. The plant has six or less functional leaves.2. Fruits are full, plump, round and light green.3. Angles in the fingers are rounded.4. Leaves turn yellow.• Hanging days of bunch:VARIETY WEEKS FROMFLOWEREMERGENCEDAYS FROM FALSE HANDAPPEARANCELATUNDAN 10 – 12 weeks or80 daysHarvest not earlier than 70hanging days.LAKATAN 12 – 13 weeks or90 daysHarvest not earlier than 80hanging days.SABA / CARDABA 16 – 18 weeks or120 daysHarvest not earlier than 112hanging days.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant12• Angularity of individual fingers: Observe the curve angle and distancingof the fingers from one another.• Fruit diameter: Observe the enlargement of the fruit diameter. As itmatures, it becomes full and bigger.• Pulp color: Mature fruits turn pale yellow pulp in color.• Locule formation: Spots and fungal development on the skin ofmaturing fruits appear as it becomes less acidic and tart.HARVESTING PROCEDURE• Remove the leaves and props• Make a cut at he middle of the pseudostem and pull the bunch slowlyto the shoulder of the backer/carrier.• Cut the peduncle and spray the butt end with Alum (Aluminum sulfate)to prevent staining of the fruits.• Cut the top of the pseudostem leaving 2 to 3 meters stalk.• The backer carries the bunch to the packing area.• Spray the bunch with water to remove field heat.Small Bunches:1. Cut the trunk slowly and partially about 1/3 from the top to insure theslow toppling of the bunch.2. Use knife or bolo, sickle or hatchet to do the cutting.3. Hold the peduncle leaving about 30 cm of the stalk for easy handling.Big Bunches:1. A bamboo pole is used to support the upper portion of the bunch.

2. The harvester moves the base of the pole slowly until the bunchtouches the shoulder pad.3. The harvester cuts the stem of the bunch 46 cm above the fruit toprovide a handle for the carrier.4. Do not cut the pseudostem close to the ground after harvest. Leave atleast 1 to 1.5 meters of the pseudostem, as it will still help in feedingthe following suckers.POST HARVEST HANDLING1. De-handing with a knife or special de-handing knife.a) Clean/wash the newly harvested fruits.b) Air-dry after washing.c) Pack the fruits.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant132. Sorting and grading:Size (length of fingers) requirement of the different varieties of bananas.VARIETY LARGE (cm) MEDIUM (cm) SMALL (cm)Latundan 13 3 – 13 6 – 8Saba/Cardaba 12 10 – 12 8 – 10Lakatan 15 10 – 15 103. Packaging:Several available packaging materials:a) Woven large bamboo or rattan baskets lined with dried banana leaves ornewspaper.b) Wooden crates of 12 to 15 kg capacity.c) Cartoon boxes with 12 kg capacity.d) Plastic crates with 10 to 20 kg caacity.STORAGEPacked fruits are either kept in cold storage or ripening rooms.Optimum storage temperature for some banana variety:CULTIVARS OPTIMUMTEMPERATURE *CSTORAGE PERIOD(DAYS)Saba/Cardaba 10 35Bungulan 12 25 – 30Latundan 13 21 – 28Lacatan 13 28PESTS and their CONTROLCommon Pests:1. Fruit scarring beetles2. Banana thrips3. Mealy Bugs4. Banana aphids5. Corm weevil1. Scarring Beetle (damage the fruits).BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant14• Bag the fruit when the last hands emerge. Spray the bunch with Decis2.5 EC at 2 tbsp / 19 litters of water in 2-3 cycles before bagging.

2. Aphids (carrier of Bunchy Top and Bract Mosaic Virus)• Spray the whole infected plants before and after eradication usingSumithion 30 EC at 2 tbsp / 18 litters of water. Burn the mat area.3. Corm Weevil (damage the corms).• Broadcast Primicid 10G at 15 grams per mat around the corm twice ayear at 5-6 month interval. Use organic fertilizer with repellant cropresidue.4. Mealy Bug (carrier of Banana Streak Virus).• Spray the pseudostem at 4 cycles per year at monthly interval usingSumithion 50 EC or Basudin 60 EC at 3-4 tbsp / 19 litter of water.DISEASES and their CONTROLCommon Diseases:1. Panama disease or Fusarium wilt2. Moco or bacterial wilt3. Sigatoka4. Black leaf streak (BLS)5. Banana bunchy top (BBT)6. Banana bract mosaic (BBM)7. Bugtok or TibagnolControl Measures1. Field and mat sanitation, leaf-pruning for light penetration andreduction of dampness.2. Chemical treatment (fungicide, insecticide and nematicides).3. Eradicate / remove infected plants.1. Sigatoka / BLS• Remove diseased leaves from infected plants to reduce inoculums.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant15• Sanitation – drain excess water to avoid water logging which produceshigh humidity.• Proper nutrition – Provide the right quantity of and ratio of nutrientsspecially Nitrogen – Potassium ratio, Phosphorous, Magnesium,Calcium, manganese, Zinc and trace mineral elements.• Spray contact and systemic fungicide on the candle leaf and expandedleaves at 10-15 days interval.2. Moko Disease (Bacterial Wilt)• Early detection and immediate eradication.• Disinfect tools and implements with 10% formaldehyde solution.• Spray infected plants with formaldehyde, before, during and aftereradication including the 6 meters radius surrounding from the infectedplant.• Chop the debris into small pieces. Avoid re-growth and facilitate drying.• Stock corm or stump with bamboo sticks soaked in Round-up or 2-4-Damine for 2 days.• Cover chopped infected plants with rice hull and burned for 2 days.• Replanting could be done 3-4 months after eradication.3. Fusarium Wilt Disease• Quarantine• Clean planting materials• Variety improvement (Hybrids) or use resistant strain.• Cultural Management (plowing, nutrition, proper spacing, liming to

raise pH to 7.0).• Soil type (pH is neutral with high Organic Matter “OM”).• Cross Protection (Immunization) of plants• Crop rotation• Soil sterilization4. Bunchy Top and Mosaic Virus• Early disease detection• Insecticide application of infested plants including 5 meters radiussurroundings. Destroy and eliminate aphids and ants that carry thevirus.• Rogue infected plants, scrape or chop the bud eyes of the corm toprevent re-growth. Burn the mat area.• Maintain clean culture by weeding and shallow cultivation.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant16Bunchy top and mosaic are two important virus diseases affectingbanana and abaca in the Philippines. Early detection of this virus helpin controlling and preventing disease outbreak. Researchers of theNational Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH)at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) developeddiagnostic kits for banana bunchy top virus and banana bract mosaicvirus by using antibody-producing monoclones.This monoclonal antibody technology facilitates the sensitive processof certifying plantlets as disease free. This is different from theconventional method which are more laborious, less sensitive, andtakes longer time for visible detection of symptoms. The conventionalmethod is not ideal for large number of planting materials used inlarge-scale production.5. Bugtok Disease in Cardaba• Periodic stem sanitation, removal of dried leaves and sucker control.• Bagging of female flower at bending stage.• Early removal of male bud.6. Dry Rot Disease in Cardaba• Based on observation of malady are high during summer whentemperature is 35 degrees centigrade and above the leaf spotdiseases like Cordana and Black cross are prevalent.• The upper portion of the peduncle is exposed to sunlight, bleaches andstarts to rot which results to reduced finger size and eventually insevere cases. Rotting of bunch occur.• In India, two fungi were isolated and their pathologicity was confirmed,namely: Colletotrichum gloesporioides and Botryodiplodia theobromae.• The disease could be prevented by spraying the peduncle and bunchwith 0.1% Carbendazim (Delsene) immediately after shooting andcovering the peduncle with leaves (flag leaf) to protect from heat.7. Post Harvest Diseases• Anthracnose * Cigar End Rot * Sunburn• Fungal ang bacterial rot can be prevented by washing fresh harvestedfruits with fungicide and bacteriocide.• Sunburns may be avoided by keeping fruits shaded away fromsunlight.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERA

Agronomist, Agricultural Consultant17INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT FOR BANANA1. Reducing pest numbers in the soil before planting.• Use of virgin soil or rested and rejuvenated soil after a year offollowing.• Crop rotationa) Peanut and corn showed to be an alternate host for R. similis(Price, 1994). Growing legumes will help rejuvenate soil life.b) Sorghum is also identified as a strong host for R. similis(Stanton 1998).c) Sugarcane and guinea grass were excellent in controllingnematode (Stanton, 1998)• Use of nematicide: Biocontrol agents like Trichoderma.• Soil sterilization: flooding, cultivation and exposure to sunlight.• Growing bananas in low rainfall areas.2. Reducing pest numbers in planting material befor planting.• Paring – slicing off outer layer of the rhizome.• Hot water treatment – treat in hot water at 52 degrees centigrade for20 minutes (Hauser, 1998)• Planting Resistant Varieties.• Clean planting materials.3. Promoting root health and vigor in the plantation to counteractpest damage.• Soil preparation.• Use the tissue culture plantiets.• Proper nutrition (Ratio of Potassium: Calcium + Magmesium)• Application of organic fert6ilizer – chicken manure reduces nematodespopulation.• Organic mulching – Rice Hull with chicken dung.4. Reducing the chances of pathogens in entering the rhizomes orroots and stem (Corm and Stem Weevil).BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant18• Trapping and sanitation• Plant residue removal like old pseudostems• Pseudostem injection of insecticideBANANA OFF TYPES FROM TISSUE CULTURE• Dwarfism• Abnormal leaf arrangement (chocking)• Deformed lamina• Long peduncle• Runt bunch• Leaf distortionPlanting materials from tissue culture may be a faster way of securingplanting materials. However, if there are available good quality suckersin the community, it is advisable for small farms to start their plantationwith them.A FARMERS PRACTICEORGANIC BANANA GROWINGCarlos Impang, a Latundan Banana farmer at Talaytay, Publacion Malungon,

Sarangani Provice has this to share. His farm is 3 hectares planted to LatundanBanana at a distance of 3 x 6 meters.He practices clean culture, with the weeds and banana leaves left to decomposein between hills. He uses organic mulch and organic waste as his fertilizer. Hedoes not spray chemicals or bagging of bunches as done with Lacatan andCavendish banana growing. He prunes off diseased leaves and brack to preventspread of fungal diseases.It takes 10 t0 12 months from planting to flowering. Fruit emergence takes 14 to16 days, and 2.5 months from flower emergence to fruit maturity and harvest.He maintains 2 to 3 suckers per hill at different stages of growth. Excess suckersare removed to concentrate nutrient to fruit development. Provide good drainageand aeration to keep the plants dry with maximum sunlight exposure. Soilmoisture is maintained with the mulching. He does not plow to avoid damagingroots that will serve as entry point of diseases.The average production is 10 to 35 kilos per bunch. He markets at the localPublic Market of Malungon at P10.00 per kilo whole sale to retailers. He has aweekly harvest of 100 to 130 kilos from ¾ hectare. He is expanding his area to 6hectares. He observed that his yield increases during the rainy season and dropsduring summer months.BANANA PRODUCTION AND MARKETINGBy: REX A. RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant19

Replant after 3 to 5 years with 1 year rest or planted to legumecrops. It is a good practice to rest the land for one year and allowthe growth of natural vegetation and microorganisms that helpdecompose and turn plant residue and convert them to organicfertilizer and readily available plant nutrients.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTWe recognize the joint effort of the government and private sectorsin pushing the development of the Banana Industry. On the governmentparticipation we acknowledge the Department of Agriculture - AgriculturalTraining Institute (DA_ATI), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),Department of Science and Technology (DOST_PCARRD), TESDA,Provincial, Municipal and Barangay government units, OPAG, OMAG ofSouth Cotabato and Sarangani Province.The private sectors fully supporting the Banana IndustryDevelopment are USAID – GEM, MINFRUIT, SAFFIA, GENSAFCO, AFCsand Fruit Associations and Cooperatives.Mr. Celso Enriquez of GEM and Mr. Benjamin Roy of MINFRUITare the main players spearheading the development of the NativePhilippine Banana Industry in the Island of Mindanao.Mr. Ed Cejar, Chairman of SAFFIA and Governor MiguelDominguez with Board Lasad Abdon likewise are spearheading thedevelopment of banana industry in Sarangani Province. Mr. Fred Dumasisand Mayor George Yabes are also promoting commercial bananaproduction in the town of Maitum, Sarangani Province.Mr. Jonathan Duhaylungsod of the Office of the Provincial

Agriculturist, Capitol, Alabel Sarangani Province and staff who have beenconducting Fruit Production Seminars including Banana Production inseveral towns of Sarangani Province.For more information, contact:REX A RIVERAAgronomist, Agricultural Consultant30 Lapu Lapu St. Gen. Santos CityCell No. 0905-242-2691 Telex. No. 083-301-0117Email: rarivera8@yahoo.com