Abstract
In order to shed light on the effect of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) bio stimulant on the banana fruit, foliar application (Fo), fertigation(F1) and a mix of both interventions (M) were done during 2018-2019 season on banana plants grown in South Lebanon compared with control (Ctrl). The period between flowering and harvest, the bunch weight, the weight and dimensions of fruit, were measured during the study. The results showed that the shortest period between flowering and harvest was observed on samples treated through foliar application (Fo), less with fertigation and then the mix of both (M). Those treatments were very effective in stimulating the weight of bunch and length of fruit, while a significant increase in the weight of fruit was noticed when both applications were done together (M). All treated modalities showed better performance compared with control. There was no difference in the diameter of fruit between all treatments. Therefore, the application of eco-friendly seaweed-based bio stimulant would be beneficial for the time of harvesting, and the size of banana fruits.
Highlights
Banana (Musa sp.), is an important fruit crop in sub-tropical and tropical countries
In order to shed light on the effect of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) bio stimulant on the banana fruit, foliar application (Fo), fertigation(F1) and a mix of both interventions (M) were done during 2018-2019 season on banana plants grown in South Lebanon compared with control (Ctrl)
The results showed that the shortest period between flowering and harvest was observed on samples treated through foliar application (Fo), less with fertigation and the mix of both (M)
Summary
Banana (Musa sp.), is an important fruit crop in sub-tropical and tropical countries. It is native to tropical south and Southeast Asia, cultivated in the world in an area of 4.8 million ha with global production of 99.99 million metric tons (Dombale et al, 2018). Banana cultivation in Lebanon is widespread, in general, in coastal areas and in the south in particular. Export value of Lebanon Bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried was more than 12 million $ in 2014 (UN, 2014). Due to Syrian war, the banana exports dropped from 38,000 to 30,000 tons in 2017 (FAO, 2017). Concerning world imports, the import value of bananas in Lebanon including plantains, fresh or dried was 135,060$ in 2014 with an estimated weight of 198 tons (UN, 2014)
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