India is land of various fruits and vegetables. From mangoes to peaches and from jackfruits to apples, all the states of the country come together to grow a variety of exotic fruits. Among all these fruits, banana is also an important fruit and is always in high demand. Banana is baked into thin and crispy chips and also chopped into thick slices to prepare curries in India. Indeed, It is very true that banana can be used in a variety of dishes and in milkshakes too. The agricultural statistics reveal that at least on an average 15 % to 20 % of the crop land in India is under the banana plantation.

Primarily, the banana plantation is constantly prepared in India through tissue culture. There are a variety of types of banana species which are grown and cultured in India. The shapes and the sizes of the fruit is very different and some of the varieties have big seeds as well within the pulp. The fruit happens to possess a number of health benefits as well.

The bananas are primarily very good for digestion hence are a good remedy to cure constipation. The consumption of bananas lead to weight loss and can also help in maintaining the proper functioning of the blood sugar levels. Bananas are very rich in potassium, vitamin C, folate, fibre and various other antioxidants. Here in, with greater detail, we have brought to you the various aspects of banana plantation in India.

The 3 prime tips to follow to encourage more of banana farming in India

1. What are the basic climatic conditions in which banana plantation can be done?

It is very important to know that bananas cannot be grown in all the states across the country. Kerala is extremely famous for producing bananas. The reason behind the proper growth of this fruit is that it is a tropical crop. This fruit needs a warm to a hot climatic condition in general. On an average, the temperature within 20 degree Celsius to 35 degree Celsius is very encouraging for the plant suckers to grow.

The plants ought to be grown within a properly humid climatic zone as well. the humidity of the land needs to be at least 70 % to 80 %. Rain is very important for the growth of the bananas. It is needless to mention that owing to the proper rain and climatic conditions, regions of Kerala, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have become great zones of banana cultivation. Since, the bananas are tropical fruits so it is very important that the temperature does not dip below 12 degree Celsius. If the temperature happens to fall below it, either the plant suckers might be dormant or can simply inflict chilling injury.

2. Is there a specific kind of soil required to raise banana farming?

The various criteria to make the soil appropriate for the banana farming in India have been given below-

• Bananas are extremely rich in roughage and the main component of the same is excess water. So, the first and the most important criteria of the soil where in the banana plantation can be started has to be properly drained.
• The soil needs to have the optimum level of moisture and should be tilled well to make way for proper aeration.
• The pH of the soil needs to be maintained within the range of 6 to 7.
• Moreover, the soil needs to be loamy and has to be treated well with manure. The soil ought not be too saline.
• It is better to not use any kind of chemical fertilisers as they tend to leave behind thick layers of salt on the soil. Any type of calcareous soil is not good.

3. How to start with the banana plantings?

It is always better to entertain the tissue culture for propagating the banana plantation. These tissue culture methods are very popular owing to the various types of benefits that they provide. If the plants are grown in this method, then the grafted plants are way more resistant than the mother plants. They are easier to grow and the yield is also high. All the more, the tissue culture of the plants can always be done all round the year. The banana plantings are done primarily in two distinct seasons to maximise the yield. The two prominent seasons are-

• Mrig Baug month of planting (this is also the kharif season)
• Kande Baug month of planting (this is also the Rabi season)

The banana plantings are ought to be done in the lands which receive the highest sunlight. The plants need to be planted in proper rows and 2 metres distance should be maintained in between the rows.