Lakatan Beginners farming

Lakatan is considered as one of the premier fruit crops in the Philippines. It has a light orange to orange pulp, firm, and aromatic. Its peel is golden yellow when ripe. The skin can be easily removed with some rags sticking to the pulp. Each bunch has 10-12 hands with 12-20 fingers. The size of each finger ranges from 10 to 20 cm in length and 2.0 to 2.5 cm in diameter.
The fruit matures at 80–90 days from shooting. The gestation period is from 12 to 15 months. It grows to a height of five to nine feet.

SOIL AND CLIMATE REQUIREMENTS

Soil
Lakatan can be grown on a wide range of soils provided these are fertile, have a good aeration, and are well-drained. Deep, well-drained alluvial soils are best including well-drained clay loams with a high water holding capacity and humus content.
Lighter soils are less preferred because they dry out quickly, allowing nitrogen fertilizers to leach more readily, and do not provide adequate root anchorage during wet and windy conditions. The minimum soil depth necessary is about one meter.

Soil pH is also a very important factor in growing Lakatan. To optimize the growth of the plant, the ideal soil pH is 6.5. But Lakatan also tolerates a pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.5. Soils exceeding pH 8.0 are not suitable.

Lakatan can grow well in slightly alkaline soil, and in fact such soils are known to prevent incidence of Panama wilt. Moreover, it requires high organic matter content.

Climate
It grows best and produce high yields in areas with well distributed rain fall and no strong winds. Optimum growth is attained when monthly rainfall is 200-220 mm. In cooler climate, the crop duration is extended and bunches are smaller. When planted to elevations of more than 900 meters above sea level, Lakatan may have an extended hanging period from 3 to 5 weeks more compared with those grown at lower elevations.

Low temperatures (lower than 10oC) are not suitable because they lead to a condition called “choke” or impeded inflorescence and bunch development. Temperatures of 37oC or higher can cause leaf scorch and higher soil temperatures affect growth.

Establishment of Wind Breaks
Winds are destructive to Lakatan, hence the need to plant windbreaks before establishing the banana plantation. Windbreaks can be planted around the perimeter of the banana field. Windbreaks can also be planted within the banana plantation at a reasonable spacing. Growing of bananas together with trees is not new. It has been done for many years, particularly when both were economically and culturally desirable.

Trees within banana plantations have increasingly become necessary both as windbreaks and as natural methods of replenishing and sustaining the productivity of farmland. However, this needs rigorous management to ensure a happy co-existence.

A tree spacing of 20 m x 20 m within the banana plantation is fair enough, whereas a spacing of 10 m x 10 m is good enough at the perimeter. The following tree species can be recommended: Eucalyptus deglupta, Gliricidia sepium, Calliandra calothyrsus, and such fruit trees as mangoes, avocado, and jackfruit.


Fig. 1. Eucalyptus deglupta (bagras)

Selection of Planting Materials

• Banana is propagated asexually with the use of suckers and corms.
• Different types of suckers are produced by the plant i.e., sword leaf suckers, maiden leaf sucker, peeper and water sucker. The best planting material however, is the sword leaf sucker primarily because of its vigorous growth. When sword suckers are used as planting materials, do not plant it with the leaves or whole pseudostem. Trim or take out the roots and cut the pseudostem 4 inches above the corm or bullhead.
• Although smaller suckers can be used, the ideal height should be 100-115 cms with a diameter of 11-20 cm and a weight of 2.3-2.7 kg.


Fig. 2. Sword-leaf sucker

• There are various sources of plant materials, the choice however, is dependent on their availability and “health status.” Plant or propagating material should always be from healthy parent plant.
• Recently, planting materials derived from tissue culture have become available. Some advantages of tissue-culture derived plantlets are: uniform and vigorous growth, increased production of suckers and earlier fruiting.

Fig. 3. Tissue cultured planting material

CLEARING AND LAND PREPARATION

Good land preparation increases the potential of the land in producing quality fruits. Other non-woody plants like weeds should also be cut into small pieces and plowed into the soil.

If the area is open and was previously planted with other crops, single plowing and harrowing will be enough. It will also bury harmful microorganisms and nematodes that have built up with the previous crop. Further, it will help facilitate weed control. However, if the area will be used for the first time (newly opened), plowing should be done twice and harrowing thrice. Doing so will provide the land with soil of proper tilth.

If the area is steep slopes and planted with other fruit trees, and plowing is impossible, the alternative is to create a bigger and a deeper hole by hand forking or hoeing.


Fig.4. Land thoroughly prepared for banana production

Planting System

Lakatan is planted in various planting patterns to ease the movement of the farmers inside the farm and to maximize the plants’ exposure to sunlight. The purpose also in following a specific planting system is to facilitate different operations such as weeding, fertilization, spraying and harvesting. Of the different types of planting systems, the most commonly used are the double hedge rows, square and triangle.

In the area, mark each planting plot with a stake to guide the farmers during planting.
Different planting patterns can be adapted by farmers depending of the type and size of the area.

Lining, staking, and digging the holes
After identifying the proper distance and the planting system to be used, the exact position of the planting material is marked with a stake. Holes can either be made by man or machine, and size and shape will depend on the planting material used.

In digging the holes, the stakes should be first removed and the planting materials should be lined up. The holes should be large enough to accommodate the roots without overcrowding.

Planting
Lakatan can be planted with a distance of 2m x 2.5 m as a monocrop or together with other plants. It grows best if planted at the beginning of or during the rainy season. This is to take advantage of the longest possible period of growth with adequate moisture. However, this can be done anytime of the year if rainfall is evenly distributed or if irrigation facilities are available.

For best results, little amount of fertilizer and organic matter are placed at the bottom of the hole. The fertilizer is then covered with a thin layer of soil before setting the plantlets. Plant the materials in the prepared holes.

Integrated management recommended for controlling viral diseases includes the use of larger plantlets for planting (at least 5 mos. old). Split open the polybag and remove the plant carefully with the ball of earth intact. Place the plant in the center of the pit without disturbing the roots. Fill the hole with soil and pack gently to hold the plantlets in place. Leave a hollow space of 10 cm to 15 cm from the surface of the soil to avoid floating suckers when the Lakatan are fully grown and producing suckers already.

If suckers are used, dig holes 60 cm deep and 50 cm wide. They should be filled with surface soil to set the suckers deep enough that after covering with 2 inch thick of soil the top portion of the corm is at least 3 inches below the surface of the topsoil.

Contour planting, or planting with the rows running across the slope of the land, is preferable to planting “on the square” with rows running up and down the slope as well as directly across the slope in straight lines.


Fig.5. Planting using sucker and tissue cultured plantlet

(Note: If possible and feasible, the holes should be burn sterilized using rice hulls before planting is done.)

Inter-cropping
For the first season, inter-cropping especially with beans and corn is highly recommended. This ensures full exploitation of the soil and its resources, and ensures proper soil cover before the bananas can start supplying their own mulch. After one or two seasons, mulch can be applied for the purpose of suppressing weeds. The few weeds that come up may be picked by hand.

In practice, however, farmers continue to inter-plant bananas with beans, ginger, and upland rice even in the old plantations. This is to improve food availability for the household. Usually the beans are planted directly into the mulch (minimum tillage).

CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Fertilization
Lakatan requires large amount of nutrients to produce the desired bunch size and weight. Plant nutrition is very important in producing healthy plants to build up pest resistance and high quality fruits. Apply as basal 86 gms of Duofos + Humic acid + Biocozyme per plant and repeat the application 6 months after planting.

One month after planting, apply 3 packs of 80 gms urea + muriate of potash place in an ice candy plastic bag with 4 small holes one foot away from the base of the plant and one foot deep and applied per annum.


Fig. 6 Ring application of fertilizer

Irrigation and Drainage
Irrigation water is needed when the amount of rainfall is below 10 cm per month. Inadequate moisture in the soil leads to slower growth rate, smaller bunches and fingers. Irrigation water can be applied through furrow irrigation, overhead sprinklers, and drip irrigation.

Drainage is important to prevent water logging. The drainage system may consist of the main canal, series of secondary and tertiary canals depending on the type of farm, extent of rainfall, topography, soil texture and management.


Fig. 7. Drainage canal

Weeding
Weeding is important 4-5 weeks after planting when weed growth is vigorous and the ground is not yet covered by mulch. Weeding may be done by hand or by using chemicals, mainly contact herbicides. The chemical weed killers can be used at planting when banana plants have not emitted leaves, or 2-3 months after planting when the banana plants are big enough. Otherwise there is a need to protect leaves so that they do not get in contact with the chemical.
Chemical weed control is less laborious, its results are good and it takes less time to treat one hectare. It is, however, expensive and may be unaffordable to ordinary smallhold farmers. There is also a problem of chemical residual effects that may be disastrous to life and the environment. One requires technical know-how when applying chemicals, otherwise there may be under treatment or overdosing.

Hand weeding ought to be done before weeds have flowered to reduce weed seed production and ensure a cleaner plantation. Subsequent weeding can be by hand picking once mulch has been established. However, constant hand picking poses the danger of soil compaction hence the need for occasional soil loosening using a forked hand hoe so that water infiltration is enhanced..


Fig. 8. Weeds sprayed with glyphosate herbicide

Mulching
Mulching is important in banana production because:
• it kills weeds by suppression;
• it ensures soil moisture conservation by preventing direct sun impact on the soil, hence controlling evaporation of soil water;
• it prevents soil erosion and run-off by interrupting direct raindrop impact;
• it provides organic matter after decomposition, hence enriching the soil through nutrients and a better soil structure;
• it provides favorable conditions for root development;
• it increases macro-fauna and micro-fauna numbers by providing a substrate to work on, as well as providing favorable conditions for their activity.


Fig. 9. Mulching with the use of rice hulls.

Desuckering
The number of plants to leave per stool depends on the farmer’s preference. If the farmer’s interest is to maximize the number of bunches to harvest from a single stool, he may then leave many standing plants on a single stool. If however, his interest is to get bigger bunches that are readily marketable, he may then leave fewer suckers per stool.
Farmers tend to prefer big bunches. They have therefore adopted the practice of leaving three plants per stool: on a single stool there is one bearing plant, one follower (maiden sucker) and one sword sucker. This ensures a continuous yield of reasonably big bunches all the year round. Another advantage of the three plants per stool method is that the farmer is able to select his plants according to the direction of the slope.

Peepers that emerge at the upper side of the maiden sucker mature and produce inflorescence that bend towards the upper side of the slope, and the bunches face up-slope. Such bunches are stable and are rarely felled by the wind. Desuckering also helps prevent or delay the incidence of high mat. Peepers that normally emerge close to the mother plants (very close to the stool) tend to develop high mat especially when other management practices are not up to standard. Such suckers are normally destroyed, and those that emerge at some distance from the mother plant are retained and left to mature.


Fig. 10. Sucker pruning

Stem and Mat Sanitation
• This is done to eliminate habitat of some insect pests.
• In cleaning the banana plant, cut dried stalk and leaves.
• File them in between plots or around the mat 30-60 cm from the plant.
• Maintain cleanliness around the plantation and do this regularly every 45-60 days.


Fig. 11. Stem and mat sanitaton

Trimming of leaves and care of Banana bunches
• Leaf trimming is an important operation for controlling certain leaf diseases and for promoting light penetration.
• Trimming is the removal of the dead leaves that hang down the sides of the pseudostem. It is very important that only the dead and diseased leaves are cut and removed and not the still green leaves that often hang down the side of the pseudostem.
• By removing those green leaves, the photosynthetic area is reduced and the final bunch size is affected.
• Leaf removal may be done throughout the growing season. By keeping the plantation clean, more light and heat are available for promoting plant growth.
• Further advantages of removing dead and dried leaves are that the potential dangers of fruit injury and disease infection are reduced.


Fig. 12. Remove all leaves with leaf spot

FRUIT CARE

Fruit obstacle removal
This is done to reposition the props and cut the leaves that touch the fruits during the early fruit development stage.

Application of Gibberellic Acid (GA3)
GA3 is an extremely potent plant growth regulator. Available material in the market is a 10% GA3 in liquid form and can readily be mixed with water. Prepare solution by mixing at least 3 ml GA3 with 16 li of clean water in an empty spray tank together with surfactants and other additives. Applications should be made under slow drying conditions (cool to warm temperatures, medium to high relative humidity and no wind) will increase absorption by the plant, thus optimizing effectiveness.

Start spraying when the flower bud appears and repeat this operation every after 10 days until the full fruit formation stage. Spray all parts of the plant to receive desired results.

Do not apply GA3 to bananas that are under pest, nutritional or water stress.

Propping
• One of the important problems facing banana growers is the lodging of plants with mature or immature bunches during heavy winds and typhoons. The plants are uprooted or broken at the middle resulting in heavy losses to the growers.
• To overcome this problem, the plants have to be propped with bamboos or caesarian poles. Single props are given. The top of the prop is placed against the throat of the plant, under the curvature of the bunch stem.
• It is important that the props itself is clear of the bunch to prevent fruit injury. Double props consist of two poles of equal length and tied together. The legs are spread to form a V at the top, in which the bunch stem is held.


Fig. 13. Bamboo props

Removal of Style, Perianths and Male bud
• For phyto sanitary purposes, remove the perianth and style while the bunch is still young.
• This is usually done during bagging or during packing operations.
• The male bud is removed immediately after the neutral hand has appeared and the fruits start to curve up.
• Other advantages in pruning the male bud include extra monetary returns by sale of male buds which are used as vegetable.
• It was observed that the banana thrips, which attack the fruit and cause unsightly brown freckling on the fruit, live and breed in the male buds in large numbers.
• When the bunches are nucleus foci for further infection. The removal of the male buds obviously results in less damage from this pest.

Bagging
• Bag the bunch to protect it from insect pest and to hasten its maturity.
• It is done when the last female hand has emerged.
• Space the bagging rounds every 7 days to ensure an accurate bagging census, from which fruit projections are based.
• Use newspaper to protect the bunch from sun scalding in exposed areas or in plants with a low number of functional leaves. Place the newspaper inside the bag during sunny days.
• Girdle around the bunch stalk and tightly tie with a piece of string several inches above the first hand.
• Tie color strips at the cut portion of the bunch stem to indicate the age of the bunch or the number of hanging days as reference for harvesting the bunch.
• Leave the bottom of the bag open to avoid the accumulation of floral rubbish/water.
• Close the bottom of the bags in areas infected by scarring beetles and other insects.


Fig. 14. Bagging

Harvesting

Depending on the distance where the banana is to be marketed, they should be harvested green at varying stages of maturity.

Lakatan for local or nearby market should be harvested a few days before it ripens. Fruits transported to distant places must be picked less mature with plainly visible edges.


The number of days from flower emergence is also recommended as a basis for maturity and harvesting.

Steps in harvesting
• Harvest the bunches preferably in the morning.
• Cut the trunk slowly and partially, almost one-third from the top for the bunch to fall slowly. Use a knife, bolo or sickle.
• Hold the tail-end of the bunch before it touches the ground.
• Cut the peduncle, leaving about 30 cm of the stalk, for easy handling.
• Do not expose the harvested bunch to sunlight.
• Bring the harvested bunch in a shaded working or packing area.
• Spray the bunch with water especially during dry period (pre-cooling).

PACKINGHOUSE OPERATIONS
Harvested bananas should be brought under the shade to prevent them from rapid deterioration. The leaves are used to cushion and cover the fruits.

Dehanding
Dehanding is an operation wherein the hands of the bunch is separated from the stalk. Small scale growers use bolo or knife for this operation. In commercial plantations, a scoop-shaped, hump-edged, t-shape hand instrument is used. The size of the scoop should fit the diameter of the stalk.


Fig. 15. Dehanding the bananas

Washing and Sorting
After dehanding, the fruits are washed in tanks with clean water or disinfected with 10ppm chlorine. This process is done to eliminate dirt and fungus spores that may have adhered to the fruit surface.

The fruits are then transferred to selectors or sorting tanks wherein hands are picked according to quality specification. Bananas with bruises, scabs, scars, oversized and undersized are rejected.


Fig. 16. Washing the fruits

Crown mold control
To prevent rotting of fruit cushions or crown due to postharvest diseases, the fruits are treated with the recommended fungicide.

Alum is added to prevent latex flow. Only 1% alum of the sprayed volume is used.

Labeling
The bananas are then labeled. Labels on two fingers per hand prior to packaging are placed. The labels are often the brand names of the companies growing the lakatan bananas.

PESTS AND DISEASES

PESTS
The most important insect pests of banana are the thrips (Thrips florum Schmutsand), scarring weevil (Philicoptus iliganus Helter), and corm weevil (Cosmopolitus sordidus Germ), which is usually a pest problem in old plantations and mealy bugs (Dysmicoccus sp.). All of the above mentioned insects directly damage the plant. Aphids and mealybugs are also important because they serve as vectors.

Control
When the hands have developed, the bunch is wrapped with bags to prevent damage of the fruits coming from thrips and scarring beetle. For corm weevil control, sucker selection, paring and insecticide treatment can be used. Biological agents against the weevil can be used for control. Digging up of old corms can also be employed.

Mites
Mites are a minor and frequent pest of bananas. Banana spider mite (Tetranychus lambi) is the most important and widespread of the mite pests of bananas. Two-spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae) has only been recorded occasionally. Activity is mainly confined to summer periods where specific miticides may be required.

Control
Good water management, especially during dry conditions, will reduce water stress to plants, allowing them to better withstand mite damage.

Nematodes
There are several nematodes infesting banana, the most important of which is Radopholus similes, Meloidogyne incognita and Helicotylenchus spp. This is still considered an important pest in commercial plantations since serious damages can be incurred if the nematodes reach an economic threshold level. If not controlled, this causes tip over or toppling of the plants. Direct damage is usually seen in the roots wherein necrosis and lesions can be observed. For infestations of M. incognita or javanica, root galling must be observed.

Control
To prevent the spread of the nematodes, corms for planting should be disinfected. This can be done by peeling the corms followed by hot water treatment (53 – 55 oC) for 10 minutes. Soaking the corms with insecticide-fungicide solution can be done.

FUNGAL DISEASES

Sigatoka
The major fungal disease in the country which is one of the contributory factors for the high cost of production in commercial bananas is the Black Leaf Streak caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis (Morelet).

The disease was first recorded in Fiji in 1963 but has spread in other banana growing areas in the world. It can now be found in all bananas grown locally except Saba, which is fairly resistant to the disease. It can be spread locally by ascospores and conidia and long distance spread is by infected suckers and leaves.

Symptoms
Initial symptoms of the disease are brown specks found on the underside of the lamina. This gradually progresses to black streaks which turn necrotic with yellow margins/haloes. In the later stage of development of the disease, the necrotic areas have light gray centers. In severe cases, fruits from sigatoka infected plants fail to fill out in immature bunches. In bunches that are approaching maturity, the fingers are undersized and usually ripen during voyage when shipped.

Control
In commercial plantations, a calendar of systemic fungicides is being used that has somehow managed the disease. With the unavailability of the different fungicides in the market and the high cost of chemicals, deleafing is recommended in smallhold farms. Use of vegetable oil is also recommended, however, 5% oil + fungicides at half of the dose of recommended level is significantly better than oil or fungicides sprayed separately.

Other leaf diseases

Black cross – On the underside of the lamina of a main lateral vein, a black cross effect can be observed that is actually the growth of the fungus from the site of infection. On the upper surface of the leaf, the lesions appear as a series of black dots.

Freckle – Symptoms appear as grayish brown or dark brown, raised, more or less rounded spots with black dots in the center, and an indefinite margin. The spots are also more abundant on the upper surface of the lamina.

Cordana – Characteristic symptoms are small oval spots which later turn to large, pale brown oval patches on the upper side of the leaf.

Fusarium Wilt

One of the destructive soil borne diseases is Panama disease or Fusarium wilt that is caused by a fungus, Fusarium oxysporum Schlect f. sp. Cubense. The disease was first recognized in Australia in 1874. It is reported to occur in all banana growing areas except PNG, South Pacific Islands and some countries bordering the Mediterannean.

Disease spread is usually root to root wherein the pathogen penetrates the root of the infected plant. The fast spread of the disease is the transport of infected rhizomes or suckers. Aside from planting materials, infected soil attached to implements, vehicles, and even footwear can spread the disease. It can also be easily spread by run-off water.

Symptoms

The characteristic external symptom of the disease is the yellowing of the leaf margin of older leaves. Yellowing progresses from the oldest to the youngest leaves. In other other cases, leaves gradually collapse at the petiole as a result of rapid wilting of the leaf. The symptoms spread to the other younger leaves until the whole plant withers. In other cases, splitting of the pseudostem above ground level could be observed.

For the internal symptom, vascular discoloration, which is either red or brown discolored strands can be observed when the pseudostem is cut horizontally or vertically.

Control

The most effective control is host resistance. For farms with fusarium infected areas, quarantine and exclusion is the most effective control. Infected plants are eradicated and disinfected by use of chemicals or burning.

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Moko
An important soil-borne disease caused by bacteria is Moko caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. The disease was first observed in the Philippines in 1969. From 1981 to the present, it is a serious problem in commercial Cavendish plantations.

Symptoms
The characteristic symptom is the yellowing of the leaves which start from the young leaves gradually spreading to the older leaves. Buckling of the petiole also occurs. Internal symptoms of the disease resemble those of Panama disease with pale to yellow vascular strands in the earlier stage of disease development. The discoloration turns dark brown or bluish black in color in advanced stages. The distinguishing internal symptom is the presence of ooze when a clean section is cut across the infected pseudostem.

Control
For farms with Moko infected areas, control measures are the same as that of fusarium infected areas. Quarantine and exclusion is the most effective control. Infected plants are eradicated and disinfected by use of chemicals or burning.


VIRAL DISEASES

Banana Bunchy Top
Bunchy top is considered as the most serious virus disease affecting the Musa family. The insect vector of the virus, Pentalonia nigronervosa coq. is endemic in banana producing areas in the country.

The disease was first recorded in banana variety Lakatan in 1960 at Ballesteros, Cagayan (Castillo and Martinez, 1961). In 1967, it was a problem in one of the Cavendish plantations in Davao City and is now spreading in many parts of the country. Spread of the disease is fast especially if the inoculum (diseased plant) and vector is present.

Control
Control measures being recommended in smallhold banana farms follow the scheme of early disease detection, insecticide application to eliminate the aphids vector, prompt removal of infected plants, and use of disease-free planting materials. The key steps in the eradication of disease plants are the following: 1) Spraying of plants with soapy water + vegetable oil within the radius of 16 meters before the infected plants to kill the aphids; 2) The diseased plants are then dug up completely and chopped into small pieces to prevent any regrowth and to facilitate drying. For immediate eradication of infected mats, the plants are injected with Glyphosate at 1 meter above ground.

Banana Mosaic (Cucumber Mosaic Virus)
The disease was first observed on cultivars Morado among others in 1979 in Davao. It was observed in epidemic proportion in General Santos City, where 25,000 mats were eradicated in August to December 1988. Saba, Cardaba, and other cultivars like Turangkog, Robusta, and wild Musa balbisiana are the cultivars so far observed most susceptible (Magnaye 1994).
The disease could be transmitted by the aphids vectors, R. maidis and A. gossypii
and P. nigronervosa.

Symptoms
Chlorotic or white flecks on the lamina are characteristic symptoms of the disease which is usually found on one side of the lamina. In advance stage of the disease, the leaves become misshapen. In severe cases, heart rotting occurs resulting to death of the plant.

Control
Effective control of the disease is similar to other viral diseases which require early detection of the disease, immediately spraying of infected and surrounding plants with insecticide, complete destruction of infected plants, weed control and the use of disease-free planting materials.

Banana Streak Virus
The banana streak badnavirus which is a major disease in Africa have been identified to be infecting Mysore and Kalapua in the banana genebank in Davao City by David Jones of INIBAP as early as 1984. The same symptoms have been observed in recent survey conducted in the Philippines and it was found to be present in our local cultivar Lakatan. The disease can be spread by different mealybug species.

Symptoms
Symptoms can vary widely but common symptoms consist of chlorotic or necrotic streaks and flecks. Some strains are known to cause necrosis of the heartleaf and pseudostem. Some infections may be confused with those of CMV.

Control
Effective control of the disease is similar to other viral diseases.

A minimum of 8 leaves per plant at bunch emergence is required to produce large bunches.