Mulch for TC Banana Plantlets
The use of straw mulch controls weeds. Silver plastic mulch also helps control aphids which vector virus diseases.
Disease-Free Plantlets by Tissue Culture
Traditionally, banana growers use suckers from their own plants as planting materials. However, virus diseases are so widespread that many suckers are already infected. Tissue culture is the only sure way to produce healthy planting materials. Of course, the foundation stock from which the tissue is taken must be free of disease.
Tissue culture (TC) plantlets are not only free of pathogens, they have a higher survival rate in the field than suckers, and reduce the cost of controlling foliar diseases by 50%. TC plantlets also tend to have higher yields of better-quality fruit.
(For more about the production of banana plantlets by TC, see FFTC Extension Bulletin 460 on this database).
Mulches for Weed Control
TC plantlets at an early stage of growth are very sensitive to herbicides. This problem can be solved by applying mulch. A new silver plastic mulch not only controls weeds, it also repels the aphids which are the vectors of banana bunchytop and other virus diseases.
Index of Images
Figure 1 Mulching of TC Banana Plantlets to Control Weeds. 1. Rice Straw Mulch<BR>
Figure 2 Mulching of TC Banana Plantlets to Control Weeds. 2. Silver Plastic Mulch Also Controls Aphids
