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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Effects of plant spacing on yield and fruit quality of some Cavendish banana (Musa spp.) clones

Elsiddig, E. A. M,   Elamin, O. M, and Elkashif, M. E.

Abstract

 Field experiments were conducted at the research farm of the National Institute for the Promotion of Horticultural Exports (NIPHE), University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan, during the period of 2000 to 2002. The objective of the study  was to determine the effects of spacing on yield and fruit quality of some Cavendish banana clones. Treatments consisted of six new Cavendish banana clones introduced from south Africa, viz. Bio, Grand Nain clone 1 (GN1), Grand Nain clone 2 (GN2), Williams Hybrid clone 1(WH1), Williams Hybrid clone 2 (WH2) and Zelig. These clones were compared with the local cultivar Dwarf Cavendish (DC). The introduced clones and DC cultivar were planted at the spacings of 2x2 and 3x3m. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design with three replications. Results showed that the largest fingers were obtained by the clones Zelig and Bio grown at the wider spacing and the smallest fingers were produced by DC cultivar grown at the closer spacing. Generally, in all clones, the wider spacing resulted in the largest fingers and the closer spacing resulted in the smallest ones. Zelig clone grown at the spacing of 3x3 m produced the highest exportable yield and DC cultivar produced the lowest. The wider plant spacing resulted in the highest exportable yield as compared to the closer spacing. The longest green life was obtained by Bio clone, followed by WH1 and Zelig clones and the shortest was obtained by DC cultivar. The wider spacing resulted in significantly longer green life as compared to the closer one. The lowest TSS and taste values were obtained by GN2 clone and DC cultivar, but there were no significant differences between the rest of the clones. Plant spacing had no significant effects on neither TSS nor taste of ripe fruit.

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 14 (2009) PP. 53-60