Applying fertilizers

You added organic matter in the form of the compost that you put into the planting holes.

The leaves and stalks cut from banana plants rot on the soil and add more organic matter.

But the plantation still needs mineral salts (see Booklet No. 1, page 19).

Bananas like potassium (see Booklet No. 6, page 11).

You can give a banana plant each year the following:

- Nitrogen (see Booklet No. 6, page 10) 750 grammes of ammonium sulphate or 300 grammes of urea.

- Phosphorus (see Booklet No. 6, page 10) 300 grammes of dicalcium phosphate or 500 grammes of Thomas slag (Bessemer basic slag).

- Potassium (see Booklet No. 6, page 11) 600 grammes of potassium chloride.

Give also 500 grammes of dolomitic limestone per plant once a Year' in one application.

The nitrogen and the potassium are given in several applications (four or five times).

The phosphorus and the lime are applied at the end of the dry season or at the end of the rainy season. The fertilizer will not be washed away by the rain.

If the banana plants are irrigated, fertilizer may be given during the dry season.

Instead of applying several different fertilizers, you can use one compound fertilizer (see Booklet No. 6, page 11).

For young plants you can give 1.5 kilogrammes of 10- 10- 20 fertilizer per plant per year, in several applications.

For bananas in production, you can give 1.5 kilogrammes of 5- 12- 24 fertilizer per plant per year, in several applications.

In addition, give 500 grammes of dolomitic limestone in one application per plant per year.