Information
Level 2 detail of experimental conditions (what might be found in a journal paper or project brief in Hydstra)
Description of study
What?
Bunch yield and other plant parameters were monitored for the plant crop and three ratoons, and the plant crop at the sites, respectively. Loss of N and K by leaching below 1 m was measured for the plant and first ratoon crop at one site.
When and Where?
From 1995 – 1999 a study was undertaken in South Johnstone, north Queensland on a deep alluvial light clay.
Experiment 4 was located in Boogan approximately 5 km east of Experiment 1. The soil type was a Red Ferrosol belonging to the Mundoo series.
How?
Experiment 1
Plants were grown in a double row arrangement (7.0 m X 1.5 m X 1.7 m) with a plant density of 1681 plants/ha. Plants were grown for four crop cycles referred to as plant and ratoons 1, 2 and 3.
The experiment was laid out as a randomised complete block design. There were eight treatments (Table 1) replicated four times. The trial area received a basla fertiliser dressing of a lime blend (CaCo3 with 5% MgO) and 5t/ha and 100 kg P/ha as superphosphate. Additional lime blend applications of 2.5 t/ha were applied at intervals of approximately six months, either side of the wet season. Nitrogen was in the form of urea, while potassium was in the form of potassium chloride, both were applied via irrigation. Fertiliser was applied in fortnightly intervals beginning on 24/1/1996 until completion of the trial. N and K were applied proportionally to expected growth (and plant need) for each fortnight. Maximum rates of N and K were applied 20 weeks after starting and were 49 and 56 kg/ha respectively for 600 N and 700 K. The expected rate of growth was based on data by Turner (1972) and modified for the faster growing conditions due to higher temperatures at South Johnstone. Lower rates of fertiliser were applied early in plant development compared to later and in winter compared to summer.
A number of banana indicators were recorded, including:
- Leaf number until bunch emergence;
- Bunch emergence;
- Pseudostem height, girth and finger number/bunch; and
- Bunch fresh weight, finger length weight of extra large fruit and maturity bronzing damage rating on the top three hands were recorded at harvest.
Soil samples were taken in 1995 prior to application of N and K in each replicate, 1996 at harvest of the plant, 1997 at ratoon 1 harvest and 1998 at ratoon 2 harvest. Cores (50 mm) were collected from each replicate. Samples were taken at depths of 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-45 and 45-60cm and analysed for pH, EC, mineral N (nitrate and ammonium), organic carbon, exchangeable cations (Na, K, Ca and Mg)and DTPA extractable Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe.
Eleven lysimeter devices were installed at a depth of 1 m in 1999 to sample soil water movement through the profile. NO3, NH4, K, Ca and Mg were analysed from leachate.
Experiment 2
To measure growth rates in relation to nutrient uptake, plots were set out adjacent to the experiment 1 site. Here a number of banana indicators were measured, including:
- Pseudostem height;
- Girth;
- Leaf number; and
- Finger diameter on bunches.
Plants were dug out, washed, fresh weights recorded, sub-sampled and analysed for the content of different plant nutrients using the procedures defined in Experiment 1.
Experiment 3
Nitrogen tracer techniques were used to measure N uptake rates from fertiliser including analysis of the lamina and 60 mm closer to the pseudostem from the leaf margin to the mid rib. Samples were collected from both sides of the leaf and oven dried in paper bags at 60°C.
Plants were dug during destructive harvest with plant sectioned into roots, corm, pseudostems, leaves, suckers and trash (dried leaves usually attached to pseudostems). Each section was weighed and a subsample collected for oven drying. Dried samples were then weighed and ground to <1 mm. Dry matter content and N uptake for each plant part was calculated.
Experiment 4
Due to no response to N fertiliser in Experiment 1, the plant crop was repeated on a more responsive site so that diagnostic indicators (soil, leaf and sap analyses) could be calibrated with yield and fruit quality.
Site identifier code: na
Principal investigator: Armour JD
Principal data manager: -na
Principal organizations: Department of Natural resources and Mines
Data custodian: DERM
Key co-operators: -na
Data access policy: Data not accessible.
Planned pathway for data: completed study (there is no evidence of formal database records)
Data warehousing: for ongoing studies -na
Planned data upload frequency: for ongoing studies –na
Key references and sources of this data synthesis
Armour JD, Daniels JW. 2002. Banana nutrition in north Queensland.
Key words
Horticulture, bananas, nutrition, nutrients