Effect of Green Manuring and Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Banana CV. Grand Nain

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of green manuring and nutrient management on growth and yield of banana cv. Grand Nain during 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Instructional Farm of ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat). The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications, which included 12 treatment combinations viz., Main Plot (T): Different green manuring, T1 - Control, T2 - Single green manuring by dhaincha, T3 - Double green manuring by dhaincha and T4 - Triple green manuring by dhaincha; Sub Plot (N): Nutrient management, N1 - 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1 year-1), N2   - 80 % RDF + N 20 % from Bio-compost, N3 - 60 % RDF + N 40 % from Bio-compost. The results revealed that soil application of triple green manuring by dhaincha was found superior with respect to vegetative characters like plant height, girth and number of leaves and yield characteristics like minimum days required for flower initiation and highest bunch weight, number of hands per bunch, weight of third hand, number of fingers per third hand, finger length and girth of third hand and fruit yield. While, 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1year-1) treatment induced early flowering and gave the maximum values for vegetative and yield attributing characters. However, in case of interaction, triple green manuring by dhaincha and 100 % RDF (FYM: 10 kg plant-1, NPK: 300:90:200 g plant-1 year-1) resulted in the maximum plant girth, bunch weight, weight of third hand and fruit yield. It is therefore concluded that earlier and higher yield from banana could be obtained by incorporating triple green manuring by dhaincha along with 100 % RDF or 80 % RDF in combination with N 20 % from bio-compost.