Before understanding what is banana stem cultivation let?s go through some statistics on the growth of bananas in India.
Banana is a global fruit crop with over 86-97.5 million tonnes of production annually. With an annual production of over 14.2 million tonnes, India leads the world in the production of bananas. Not to mention it supports the livelihood of more than a million people. So, it?s safe to assume that ?banana? as a crop is extremely abundant in a country such as India. Now, what is banana stem cultivation and why is it suddenly making waves in the agricultural society? As far as most tissue cultures go, banana has emerged to be one the safest bets. With a high capacity for water retention and a stem packed with minerals and other important nutrients, a banana stem, though often ignored, acts as a good alternative to traditional soils. It?s not only useful while growing crops, but it can also be used after it has been decayed as a fertilizer. It is very easy to cultivate crops on banana stems, and you can even do this in your backyard or terraces!
One of the best advantages of banana stem cultivation is ease of accessibility. You simply need to know how to cultivate using a banana stem and the method is simple. First you need to make a cut in the stem using a common knife. The inner core of the stem is white and often used as a delicacy in many parts of India. The white part of the stem, or the inner core, is filled with nutrients. So after you have made the cut in the stem, and you can see the white part, keep digging into the stem unless you have made the perfect pit for your plants. Once you have removed the layers and made a hole, fill it up with soil, manure and other fertilizers if any. Add the seeds to the soil and make sure they are germ-free, healthy, uniform and authentic. Keep a distance of 30-40 cm between the crops.
The best part about using a banana stem you simply don?t need to irrigate it manually. Due to its high water retention capacity, the crops get most of their water from the bark itself. You simply have to make sure the stem is nourished with water. Also, as these stems have a long life you can use them for a longer period without worrying about decaying.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/bio-tech/biotech_tc_jainirrigation.html
http://greenubuntu.com/use-banana-stems-organic-farming-innovations-agriculture/
http://nhb.gov.in/report_files/banana/BANANA.htm
" />Before understanding what is banana stem cultivation let?s go through some statistics on the growth of bananas in India.
Banana is a global fruit crop with over 86-97.5 million tonnes of production annually. With an annual production of over 14.2 million tonnes, India leads the world in the production of bananas. Not to mention it supports the livelihood of more than a million people. So, it?s safe to assume that ?banana? as a crop is extremely abundant in a country such as India. Now, what is banana stem cultivation and why is it suddenly making waves in the agricultural society? As far as most tissue cultures go, banana has emerged to be one the safest bets. With a high capacity for water retention and a stem packed with minerals and other important nutrients, a banana stem, though often ignored, acts as a good alternative to traditional soils. It?s not only useful while growing crops, but it can also be used after it has been decayed as a fertilizer. It is very easy to cultivate crops on banana stems, and you can even do this in your backyard or terraces!
One of the best advantages of banana stem cultivation is ease of accessibility. You simply need to know how to cultivate using a banana stem and the method is simple. First you need to make a cut in the stem using a common knife. The inner core of the stem is white and often used as a delicacy in many parts of India. The white part of the stem, or the inner core, is filled with nutrients. So after you have made the cut in the stem, and you can see the white part, keep digging into the stem unless you have made the perfect pit for your plants. Once you have removed the layers and made a hole, fill it up with soil, manure and other fertilizers if any. Add the seeds to the soil and make sure they are germ-free, healthy, uniform and authentic. Keep a distance of 30-40 cm between the crops.
The best part about using a banana stem you simply don?t need to irrigate it manually. Due to its high water retention capacity, the crops get most of their water from the bark itself. You simply have to make sure the stem is nourished with water. Also, as these stems have a long life you can use them for a longer period without worrying about decaying.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/bio-tech/biotech_tc_jainirrigation.html
http://greenubuntu.com/use-banana-stems-organic-farming-innovations-agriculture/
http://nhb.gov.in/report_files/banana/BANANA.htm
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