Effect of fertilizer management on growth of Lakatan cv. banana (Musa acuminata) under open-upland cropping system

Integrating fertilizer management improves productivity of local banana cultivar, Lakatan (Musa acuminata)in open-upland cropping system. Bananas receiving 100 percent recommended fertilizer (RF) have taller plants , wider leaves of the second fully-exposed leaf and larger pseudostem girth than those treated with only 50 percent RF before the 8th month. However, increasing the fertilizer rate from 50 percent RF to 100 percent RF, bananas were able to catch up with agroparameters comparable with those receiving 100 percent RF. For those receiving 100 percent RF, growth stages could be characterized where vegetative growth starts during the first nine months after transplanting with reproductive stage starts at the tenth month. The presence of apex is an indication of the start of the reproductive stage of Lakatan. For those receiving only 50 percent RF, vegetative growth continued up to the 9th month.The availability of soil nutrients induced not only vegetative growth but also suckering. Those receiving 100 percent RF have more than twice suckers than those receiving only 50 percent at six months after transplanting. Increasing the fertilizer rate from 50 percent to 100 percent on the 8th month increased the number of suckers on the 14th month. Selection of the follower was recommended to start at 6 months after transplanting to avoid source-sink competition especially during the reproductive stage. Current fertilizers recommendation could meet the critical P and K levels of the leaf tissue of Lakatan but not of N. No significant correlation between nutrient and water levels in the soil and plant tissue at different growth stages was observed. To minimize fertilizer cost, the existing fertilizer recommendation could be reduced to half during the early stage of Lakatan, as bananas would catch up during its later stage. However, identification of the proper timing of fertilizer application is still to be determined.