Banana (Musa sp) is the leading fruit crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Banana is grown in over 130 countries around the world and whilst primarily a tropical fruit, it is also grown in the subtropics and in greenhouses at latitudes outside of the subtropics (Bragard et al 2021).

Its year round availability, affordability, varietal range, taste, nutritive and medicinal value make it the favourite fruit among all classes of people. It also has good export potential.

Globally, India stands first both in area and production, but has a very meager share of less than 0.05 per cent of the international banana trade (Mustaffa and Kumar 2012). Bananas with year round availability provide a permanent source of income not only to the farmers and rural populations, but also to the traders and retailers, thus playing an important role in poverty alleviation. Now a days because of increasing input costs for banana production, the farmers are looking for new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs.

Standardization of production technology would be a viable alternative to improve productivity and profitability of the banana growers. Hence, the experiment was planned with the objectives to identify efficient input use technology for improving yield and quality of banana and find out the per cent contribution of technologies and economics of different treatment combinations.

Field experiment was conducted at Banana Research Station, Jalgaon, Maharashtra during 2014-2017 to identify efficient combination of inputs for improving growth and yield of banana under precision farming. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) comprising seven treatment combinations and four replications. The treatment combinations were T₁: Control (soil application of RDF + + surface irrigation), T₂: a + b + c, T₃: a + b + d, T₄: a + b + c + d, T₅: a + b + c + d + e, T₆: a + f + c + d + e (tissue culture plant) and T₇: a + f + c + d + e (rhizomes) [here a = Drip irrigation – 80% ETc throughout the growth period, b = Fertigation – 75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tonnes/ha target) developed by NRCB, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, c = Micronutrient foliar spray {2% NRCB micronutrient mixture at 2, 3 and 4 MAP (T₂, T₄ and T₅), 0.5% spray of EDTA-Zn and Fe each at 2 and 4 MAP (T₆ and T₇)}, d = Bunch spray of SOP (2%) (I spray after male bud removal and II spray at 30 days after I spray), e = Polyethylene mulching (30 micron), f = Fertigation – 75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tonnes/ha target) developed by MPKV, Rahuri, Maharashtra].

The data in respect of yield per hectare, gross income, cost of treatments, net income, SVI, SYI and B-C ratio are depicted in Table 1. The highest yield of banana (123 tonnes/ha) was recorded under treatment T₆ [Drip irrigation – 80% ETc throughout the growth period; fertigation – 75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tons/ha target) developed by MPKV, Rahuri, Maharashtra; micronutrient foliar spray (2% NRCB micronutrient mixture at 2, 3 and 4 MAP, 0.5% spray of EDTA-Zn and Fe each at 2 and 4 MAP; bunch spray of SOP (2%) (I spray after male bud removal and II spray at 30 days after I spray); polyethylene mulching (30 micron)] and T₅ [Drip irrigation – 80% ETc throughout the growth period; fertigation – 75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tonnes/ha target) developed by NRCB, Trichy, Tamil Nadu; micronutrient foliar spray (2% NRCB micronutrient mixture at 2, 3 and 4 MAP, 0.5% spray of EDTA-Zn and Fe each at 2 and 4 MAP; bunch spray of SOP (2%) (I spray after male bud removal and II spray at 30 days after I spray); polyethylene mulching (30 micron)] (121 tonnes/ha) was found second best for this trait. The highest gross income was recorded in treatment T₆ (Rs 9,84,000) followed by T₅ (Rs 9,68,000).

Net income was received from the treatment combinations viz T₆ (Rs 6,73,256) and T₄ [Drip irrigation-80% ETc throughout the growth period; fertigation-75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tons/ha target) developed by NRCB, Trichy, Tamil Nadu; micronutrient foliar spray (2% NRCB micronutrient mixture at 2, 3 and 4 MAP, 0.5% spray of EDTA-Zn and Fe each at 2 and 4 MAP; bunch spray of SOP (2%) (I spray after male bud removal and II spray at 30 days after I spray)] (Rs 6,42,482). T₆ and T₄ also recorded highest SYI of 0.92 and 0.90 and SVI of 0.90 and 0.85 respectively. With regard to B-C ratio, the highest value (3.19) was recorded in T₄ followed by T₆ (3.17). The results recorded in the present investigations are in line with those recorded by Badgujar and Deshmukh (2013) and Badgujar et al (2018a, Badgujar 2018b).

The data on the effect of treatments on the increase in yield of banana and increase in terms of money are depicted in Table 2. The use of drip irrigation + fertigation over RDF by conventional + surface irrigation (18% of water saving in drip) was found superior and receded 23.40 per cent increase in yield and in terms of money it accounted for Rs 1,87,000 per hectare. Use of tissue culture seedlings over rhizome planting recorded 14.95 per cent increase and in terms of money it was Rs 1,27,075 per hectare. In rest of the treatments increase was in the range of 1.65 to 5.13 per cent and in terms of money from Rs 17,000 to 51,000 per hectare.

T₁: Control (soil application of RDF + surface irrigation), T₂: a + b + c, T₃: a + b + d, T₄: a + b + c + d, T₅: a + b + c + d + e, T₆: a + f + c + d + e (tissue culture plant), T₇: a + f + c + d + e (rhizomes); a= Drip irrigation-80% ETc throughout the growth period, b= Fertigation-75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tons/ha target) developed by NRCB, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, c= Micronutrient foliar spray [2% NRCB micronutrient mixture at 2, 3 & 4 MAP (T₂, T₄ & T₅), 0.5% spray of EDTA-Zn and Fe each at 2 & 4 MAP (T₆ & T₇)], d= Bunch spray of SOP (2%) (I spray after male bud removal and II spray at 30 days after I spray), e=Polyethylene mulching (30 micron), f= Fertigation-75% of worked out NPK based on STCR equation (120 tons/ha target) developed by MPKV, Rahuri, Maharashtra

References