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The influence of planting density on the production of 'Goldfinger' (Musa spp., AAAB) in the subtropics

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Langdon, P.W., Whiley, A.W., Mayer, R. J., Pegg, K. G. and Smith, M. K. (2008) The influence of planting density on the production of 'Goldfinger' (Musa spp., AAAB) in the subtropics. Scientia Horticulturae, 115 (3). pp. 238-243.

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2007.10.001

Abstract

'Goldfinger', a tetraploid banana produced from the Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola (FHIA) breeding program, was released to the Australian industry in 1995. It was promoted as an apple-flavoured dessert banana with resistance to Fusarium wilt race 1 and subtropical race 4, as well as resistance to black and yellow Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis and M. musicola, respectively). This study was initiated to provide agronomic information to the banana industry, which was under threat from Fusarium wilt, on a new cultivar which could replace 'Williams' (AAA, Cavendish subgroup) or 'Lady Finger' (AAB, Pome subgroup) in those areas affected by Fusarium wilt. Also few studies had reported on the production characteristics of the new tetraploid hybrids, especially from subtropical areas, and therefore two field sites, one a steep-land farm and the other a level, more productive site, were selected for planting density and spatial arrangement treatments. The optimum density in terms of commercial production, taking into account bunch weight, finger size, length of the production cycle, plant height and ease of management, was 1680 plants/ha on the steep-land site where plants were planted in single rows with 2.5 m × 2.5 m spacings. However on the level site a double-row triangular layout with inter-row distances of 4.5 m to allow vehicular access (1724 plants/ha) gave the best results. With this arrangement plants were in an alternate, triangular arrangement along a row and a spacing of 1.5 m between plants at the points of each triangle and between each block of triangles.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Crop and Food Science, Horticulture and Forestry Science
Additional Information:© Crown Copyright.
Keywords:Banana; FHIA-01; plantation establishment; spacing.
Subjects:Plant culture > Fruit and fruit culture > Culture of individual fruits or types of fruit > Bananas
Plant culture > Propagation
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Methods and systems of culture. Cropping systems
Live Archive:02 Feb 2009 23:08
Last Modified:31 Jan 2023 02:17

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