Effect of Irrigation, Leaf and Sucker Management

Banana is one of the most important fruit crop in India and accounts for 31.7 % of the total fruit production. It is widely cultivated in varying agroclimatic regions under different systems of production (Mustaffa, 2011). In West Bengal, the farmers are cultivating local cultivars which are low yielders. The productivity in the state is 24.1 t/ha as against 64.1 t/ha in Gujarat (Anon., 2013). Consequently, a new thrust is emerging for higher yield, better fruit quality and longer shelf life with lesser susceptibility to pests and diseases. Therefore to improve the productivity, extending the area of high yielding varieties like Grand Naine, Robusta and Dwarf Cavendish banana are important. Grand Naine is the most accepted international variety (Mustaffa, 2011).