MOALF/SHEP PLUS

Japan International Cooperation Agency Agriculture and Food Authority Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
Horticultural Crops Directorate State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research

Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion Project

for Local and Up-Scaling (SHEP PLUS)
“Changing Farmers’ Mindset from “Grow and Sell” to ”Grow to Sell””

BANANA PRODUCTION
Presented to the County & AFA (HCD) Staff in charge of the
SHEP PLUS Model Farmer Groups during the FT-FaDDE

Prepared by SHEP PLUS

MOALF/SHEP PLUS

1. Introduction:
1.1 Background
• Banana is mainly cultivated for its
1-1 fruit which can either be eaten ripe
(dessert) or cooked
• The ripe fruit is a good source of
vitamins A, B6 & C and
potassium, while cooked one is
rich in carbohydrates
• It can also be processed into flour,
canned slices, jam, jelly and beer
• The popularity of the crop makes it
a good cash crop for smallholder
farmers
• The foliage and pseudo-stems
Photo: SHEP PLUS are used as cattle feed during
drought
Banana (Ndizi) • The banana leaves are also used2
as packing and roofing material
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

1.2 Common Varieties

• The following are the common varieties grown
1-2 in Kenya
“Giant Cavendish”
• A tall variety
• Resistant to Fusarium wilt (Panama disease)
• Susceptible to Sigatoka
• Has a strong pseudo-stem
“Giant Cavendish” • The plant requires propping

1-3 “Chinese Dwarf”

• A short variety
• The plant does not require propping
• Grows in areas with altitude as high as 2,100
m
• Resistant to fusarium wilt (Panama disease)
• Susceptible to Cigar-end Rot & Sigatoka 3
“Chinese Dwarf”
Photo: SHEP PLUS
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1.2 Common Varieties Cont’

1-4 1-5

“Grand Nain” “Williams Hybrid”

4
Photo: SHEP PLUS
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1.2 Common Varieties Cont’

“Grand Nain” “Williams Hybrid”
• A cultivar of Cavendish type • Produces large bunches
• Tolerant to environmental with fruits which have
stress excellent flavour, aroma,
• Produces good quality and taste when ripe
bunches with fruits which • Ripe fruits have short shelf
are uniformly yellow in life
colour
• Mature fruits have good “Valery”
shelf life • A tall variety and has good
• Requires propping taste
• Strong pseudo-stem

5
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1.2 Common Varieties Cont’

FHIA Hybrids: “FHIA-17, 18, Other varieties:
23, 25” • Ngombe, Lacatan, Apple
(Sweet/ Sukari), Gross
• Varieties which have been Michel, Poyo, Kisii Matoke,
developed by International Muraru, Bogoya, Kampala,
Institute of Tropical Kisigame, Manyoke,
Agriculture Kiganda & Mutahato
• Resistant to “Black 1-6
Sigatoka”
• Used for cooking and
dessert
• Produce heavy bunches
with an average weight of
50 kg
• The plants require support Photo: SHEP PLUS

to prevent lodging
FHIA-17” 6
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1.3 Optimal Ecological Requirements

Altitude 0-1,800 metres above sea

level
Rainfall 1,000 – 2,000 mm of
rainfall annually
Growing 20 – 30 0C
Temperature
Soils • Deep well drained soils
• pH range 6.0 – 7.5
• Wind: Bananas are sensitive to strong wind which causes tearing
of leaves and lodging of plants hence need for protection from
strong winds by establishing wind breaks 7
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2. G20 technologies
 Make sure to support farmers carry out G20
techniques for any crop
1. Market survey 7. Incorporating crop
2. Crop planting residues
calendar 8. Basal application of
3. Soil testing compost/ manure
4. Composting 9. Recommended
5. Use of quality practices of seedling
planting materials preparation/
seedlings from
6. Recommended land registered nursery
preparation practices 8
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

2. G20 technologies
10.Recommended 16.Safe and effective
spacing use of pesticides
11.Recommended 17.Use of harvesting
fertilizer application indices
rate 18.Appropriate post
12.Supplementing harvest handling
water containers
13.Timely weeding 19.Value addition
14.Top-dressing techniques
15.IPM practices 20.Keeping farm
records 9
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3.1 Quality Planting Materials

(G20: Q5)

2-4 2-5

Photo: SHEP PLUS Photo: SHEP PLUS

Tissue Culture Sword suckers

Banana Seedlings
10
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3.1 Quality Planting Materials

(G20: Q5)
2-4 • Bananas in Kenya are
propagated vegetatively using
tissue culture and sword
suckers
Photo: SHEP PLUS • Tissue Culture: these are
Tissue Culture Banana normally disease & pest free
Seedlings plantlets that are multiplied under
2-5 controlled conditions
(laboratories) before being
transferred to nurseries for
hardening before sale
• Sword Suckers: the commonly
used method by most smallholder
Photo: SHEP PLUS
farmers (hot water treatment
11
Sword suckers required)
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3.1.1 Tissue Culture Seedlings

• The planting material should be
2-6 sourced from registered
nurseries that are known to sell
Tissue Culture seedlings e.g.
KALRO, JKUAT & some
Photo: SHEP PLUS
private companies such as
Genetic Technologies,
Tissue Culture Banana Nursery
Aberdare Technologies &
Africa Harvest Biotech
2-7 Foundation
• Registered hardening nurseries
• Advantages of using tissue
culture seedlings; elimination of
Photo: SHEP PLUS
risks of pests & diseases,
Tissue Culture Banana production of uniform banana
Seedlings Ready for crop and higher yields 12
Transplanting
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3.1.2 Sword Suckers

2-8 • Most farmers use sword
suckers obtained from own
farm or from neighbors to
extend existing or establish
new banana orchards
• The common farmer
practice of using infected
sword suckers has
continuously perpetuated
the spread of banana
diseases and pests
• To mitigate this problem,
Photo: SHEP PLUS
suckers need to be
disinfected before planting
or being moved
Sword suckers in a field 13
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3.1.3 Suckers Disinfection

through Hot Water Treatment
2-9

1 2
3 4

Sword suckers
Photo: SHEP PLUS

Disinfection of Banana Suckers 14

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3.1.3 Sucker Disinfection through Hot

Water Treatment (1/2)
• In the absence of Tissue
Culture Banana seedlings,
sword suckers can be used as
the propagation material
• Sword suckers are shoots with
1 2 narrow leaves with height of
about 1 m and 15 cm diameter
3 4 at the base
• Sword suckers are sourced
from existing Banana orchard
therefore it is necessary to treat
the suckers with hot water to
eliminate nematodes &
Disinfection of Banana Suckers banana weevils
for nematode/weevil control 15
Photo: SHEP PLUS
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3.1.3 Suckers Disinfection through Hot

Water Treatment (2/2)
• This process involves the
following:
1. Trimming all the roots
2. Cutting off 1 cm of tissue
around the corm until you
1 2 get clean white tissue
3. Prepare hot water
3 4
4. Immerse the trimmed corm
in the hot water bath at 50 –
55 0C for 20minutes
• Note: In farm situation
where there is no
thermometer, the suckers
Disinfection of Banana Suckers
for nematode/weevil control
can be dipped in boiling 16
Photo: SHEP PLUS
water for 30 seconds
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4. Cultural Practices:
4.1 Land Preparation
3-1

Photo: SHEP PLUS

Weighing Manure 17
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4. Cultural Practices:
4.1 Land Preparation
(GHCP&PHHT20: Q6)
• Before planting, deep soil cultivation by ploughing &
harrowing is recommended
• The field should be free of trees, bushes and especially
perennial weeds
• A planting hole measuring 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm is
recommended although this may vary depending on water
availability
• In dry & semi-arid areas, it is recommended to use holes
measuring 90 cm x 90 cm x 90 cm
• Bananas cannot withstand stagnant water hence soil
should have good drainage

18
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4. Cultural Practices:
4.1 Land Preparation
4.1.1 Recommended Spacing
(GHCP&PHHT20: Q10)
• Short Varieties: 3 m x 3 m (444 plants/acre)
• Medium Varieties: 3 m x 4 m (333 plants/acre)
• Tall Varieties: 4 m x 4 m (250 plants/acre)

4.1.2 Fertilizer Application Method & Rates

(GHCP&PHHT20: Q11)
• The top soil and sub soil should be kept separate
• Mix the top soil with 2-3 debes (20-30 kgs) of well
decomposed manure and 200 g of Triple Super Phosphate
(TSP)
• Refill the hole with the top soil first followed by the sub soil
• Allow it to settle for at least 2 weeks before transplanting 19
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4.2 Transplanting • Transplanting should be done

when tissue culture seedlings
are about 30 cm and have
3-3 produced at least 5 healthy
leaves
• To ensure good anchorage, a
sucker or seedling should be
placed 30 cm deep in the
planting hole
• A heavy cover of mulch should
be placed around each plant to
conserve soil moisture
• Under rain fed conditions,
planting should be carried out at
the onset of the rains
Photo: SHEP PLUS
• However, if irrigation water is
Banana Seedlings After available, planting can be done
Transplanting throughout the year 20
 • Process of removing unwanted
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.3 Crop Management suckers from one stool so that at

any moment a stool has only 3
4.3.1 De-suckering suckers:
3-5 – One bearing sucker (mother
plant)
– One half-grown sucker
(daughter plant)
– One sprouting sucker (grand
Photo: SHEP PLUS daughter plant)
Poorly Managed Banana Stools • The surplus suckers are dug out
with corm, and can be used as
3-6 planting material
• In order to prevent sprouting:
Insert a peg in the growing part
• The process should start 2
Photo: SHEP PLUS months after planting and be
Well Managed Banana Stools repeated every 45 days till the21
plant flowers
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4.3.2 Propping
3-7 • It is the process of supporting banana
plants which have mature or immature fruit
bunches to prevent them from lodging

• A pole with a V-shape end is placed under

the bunch to support it

3-8 • The prop should be placed carefully to

avoid fruit injury

• The major varieties which require propping

are: Grand Nain, Williams, Valery, Giant
Cavendish, FHIA series, Ngombe etc.

Propped up
22
Banana Plants
Photo: SHEP PLUS
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4.3.3 Trimming of Old Dried Leaves

• This activity is useful since it ensures light
penetration in the orchard and helps reduce
3-9 certain leaf diseases and reduces injury
caused to bananas by the dry leaves during
windy periods
• All dry/dead leaves which hang down the
sides of the pseudo stem need to be removed
Photo: SHEP PLUS
at least twice a year (Each pseudo stem
Neglected
Stool with should have 7 leaves at any one time)
Dried Leaves • Trimming;
3-10 – Ensures light penetration in the orchard
– Helps reduce certain leaf diseases
– Reduces injury caused to banana fruits by
the dry leaves during windy periods
Photo: SHEP PLUS

Well Managed • After harvesting, the pseudo-stem should be

Orchard without cut off at ground level, and chopped into small23
Dried Leaves pieces to avoid banana weevil infestation
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.3.4 Removal of Male Bud & Bagging

• The male bud or navel should be
3-11 removed after bunch formation is
complete
• The advantages of removing the
male bud include; increase in yield,
uniformity of hands and reduced
thrips attack
Before Removal Note: Tools used during removing
male buds and pruning need to be
3-12 disinfected
4.3.5 Bunch Covering (Bagging)
• Covering banana bunches with
special polybag in order to protect
them from being attacked by thrips
and other insects
After Removal • Fasten maturing bunches 24
Photos: SHEP PLUS
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4.4 Water Requirement

(G20: Q12)
• Banana plants require a
minimum of 1,000 mm of
3-13 rainfall annually
• Irrigation is therefore
necessary where the rainfall
received is less than this
amount
• Water is critical at flowering
• Therefore, in drier areas,
supplemental irrigation may
Banana Orchard Under
Irrigation
be necessary during this time
40-60litres/stool weekly (in
two splits) 25
Photo: SHEP PLUS
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4.5 Managing of Weeds

(G20: Q13)
• Orchards should be kept weed-free
through either hoeing, mulching or
herbicides
3-14 • Since bananas are shallow-rooted,
care should be taken during
weeding to avoid root injury
• A well maintained heavy mulch
cover will suppress weed growth,
retain moisture & provide humus
for a good soil structure
• The orchard can also be kept
weed-free through inter-cropping
Weed Management Through • Use of herbicide such as Paraquat
Mulching Dichloride (Gramoxone®,
HERBIKILL®) or Glufosinate -
Ammonium (Basta®) is also
26
effective
Photos: SHEP PLUS
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4.6 Top-dressing (2/2)

4.6.1 Top-Dressing by Fertilizer
• Fertilizer should be applied twice a year during the
rainy season
• Apply 200g of CAN per stool. The top-dressing
fertilizer should be applied in a band 60cm away
from the plant
• Or, an NPK fertilizer rich in K such as Mavuno
Banana (10-3-20+TE) 250g per stool
• 2 – 4 debes (20-40 kgs) of well decomposed
farmyard manure is applied per stem per year
before the rains. This is applied on the outer
diameter of the canopy and incorporated into the
27
soil carefully to avoid root damage
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7 Pest & Disease Control

4.7.1 Major Pests

• The following are the important pests of Banana in

Kenya:

A. Burrowing Nematode
B. Banana Silvering Thrips
C. Banana Weevil Borer
D. Moles
E. Fruit Fly
F. Banana Aphids

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4.7.1.A: Burrowing Nematodes

• Nematodes are the most damaging
pests causing over 70 % loss of the
crop
Damages:
3-18 • Lesions and tunnels within the
rhizome
• Root destruction leads to toppling of
mature plants, especially in windy
conditions or during bearing stage
Control:
• Use of clean planting material
(Tissue Culture or by hot water
Photo: © A.A. Seif, icipe (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) treatment)
• Use “Tithonia” and “Mexican
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Bananas

Burrowing nematodes on Marigold” in banana farm as green

banana roots manure
• Apply farmyard manure or poultry
manure
• Use of nematicides such as
Azadirachtin (Achook®),
Ethoprophos (MOCAP GR 10®) 29
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4.7.1.B: Banana Silvering Thrips

Damages:
• Silvery patches on the fruits that
later turn brown
• The skin of heavily infested fruit
3-20 may crack permitting secondary
infection which results in fruit rot
making it unattractive hence
lowering its marketability
• High concentration in male flowers
Control
• Removal of male flowers
Photo: Scot Nelson (CC BY 2.0)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/27755734515/in/photolist-Jb53fP- • Covering of bunches/ Bagging
JhFoSP
• Use of insecticides such as
Damage on Banana fruits – Deltamethrin (Decis 2.5
EC®)
– Pirimiphos-Methyl
30
(ACTELLIC 25EC®)
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4.7.1.C: Banana Weevil Borer

Identification:
• Weevil: A brown-black
3-21 weevil with a curved
hard shell
• Borer (Grub): Form
irregular tunnels in the
rhizome reducing it to a
mass of rotten tissue
Damage:
• The leaves of infested
plants turn yellow, wither
and die prematurely
• Infested plants are easily
Photo: Scot Nelson, Public Domain Mark 1.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/31083069944/in/photostream/
blown over the ground
by wind
Weevil damage on a banana corm
31
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4.7.1.C: Banana Weevil Borer

Control:
3-22 • Use clean planting
material for propagation
(Tissue Culture or hot
water treatment)
• Do NOT leave suckers and
other planting materials
over night in the field, as
the weevils may lay eggs
on them
• After harvest, cut stems at
the ground level and
cover the cut surface with
a layer of earth to prevent
entry of the weevil
• Cut harvested stems into
very small pieces to allow
Photo: © A.M. Varela, icipe (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) faster drying and rotting
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Bananas
32
Banana weevil adult
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Identification:
4.7.1.D: Moles • Moles are small cylindrical
mammals
• They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible
ears and eyes; and short, powerful
3-23 limbs with large paws oriented for
digging
• Forms mounds of soil (shaped like
a volcano) and/or surface tunnels
Damage:
• Stools fall over from damage on the
roots
Control:
• Keep the basin of the banana stools
always moist as moles do not like
Photo: By Scapanus_latimanus.jpg: Sarah Murray derivative work: living on wet grounds
WolfmanSF (Scapanus_latimanus.jpg) [CC BY-SA 2.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia • Do NOT heap/mount soil around the
Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AScapanus_latimanus2.jp basin of the banana stool as this
g (9 Dec 2016)
might become a hide out for the
A Mole making tunnels at the moles
base of Banana stool • Use traps with baits
33
• Field sanitation
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4.7.1.E: Fruit Fly

3-24 Description:
• Two species; Bactrocera
invadens and Ceratitis
rosa.
• Bactrocera invadens is
2-3mm long prevalent in
Kenya and Sudan.
• It is a major pest that
leads to rejections in the
export market.
Damages:
• Fruits show small wet
Fruit fly (Bactrocera invadens) attack on green banana spots with back holes at
(c) M. K. Billah, icipe (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
the centre

Damage On Green Banana fruits 34

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4.7.1.E: Fruit Fly

3-25 Control
• Hygiene- remove and destroy
infested bananas
• Bagging using polyethylene

Fruit fly (Bactrocera invadens) attack on green banana

(c) M. K. Billah, icipe (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Fruit fly
35
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4.7.1.F: Banana Aphids

3-21 Identification:
• It is a small aphid about 1-2 mm
long and blackish-brown in colour
• Colonies are usually present on
the base of young leaves
Damage:
• The direct damage caused by
aphids sucking the plant sap is
negligible. However, they are
important pests as vectors of the
virus causing the bunchy-top
disease.
Control:
• Conserve natural enemies. They
are important in natural control of
aphids.
• Monitor the crop regularly
Photo: Scot Nelson, Public Domain Mark 1.0 • Spray insecticides such as
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/21723079161
Lambda Cyhalothrin (Karate
Banana Aphids, vector of Banana Zeon®), Oxydemeton- 36
bunchy top virus (BBTV) Methyl(HATTRICK EC®)
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2 Major Diseases

• The following are the major diseases of

bananas in Kenya:
a. Panama Disease (Fusarium Wilt)
b.Black Sigatoka
c. Cigar-end Rot
d.Banana Bacterial Wilt
e. Bunchy Top Disease
f. Anthracnose Disease

37
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4.7.2.a: Panama Disease

3-24a 3-24b

Photo: SHEP PLUS Photo: © Rose Kamau, MOALF 2019

Banana plant with collapsed dry leaves (left)

and infected banana pseudo-stem 38
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4.7.2.a: Panama Disease

General Description:
• A soil-borne disease also known as “Fusarium Wilt”
• Fungus attacks roots and blocks vascular system causing wilt
Symptoms:
• The older leaves turn yellow and collapse while still green at the
base
• The leaves fall in order, from the oldest to the youngest until they
hang around the pseudo-stem like a skirt, and dry up
• The emerging heart leaf may die while the stem remains erect till it
decays and falls over, or, stem cracks before falling
• Internally, there is vascular discoloration in the outer leaf sheath
• Diseased plants fail to produce normal fruit and die before the
fruit stalk is fully developed
• Apple and Gross Michel/Kampala are highly susceptible to this
disease
39
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4.7.2.a: Panama Disease

Control:
• Use of resistant varieties, such as Giant Cavendish, Lacatan or
FHIA hybrids
• Use disease-free material (Tissue Culture and clean suckers)
• Observe quarantine

40
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.b: Black Sigatoka/ Black Leaf Streak

(1/2)
General Descriptions:
3-25 • A fungal disease that destroys
banana leaves
• It can seriously reduce crop
yield
Symptoms:
• First symptoms are narrow,
rusty, reddish-brown streaks
on the underside of leaves
• These become dark brown or
black spots on both surfaces
Photo: ©Scot Nelson (CC: BY 2.0) and develop yellow margins &
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/29608954871
grey centres
A Banana leaf with symptom of • It causes significant reduction
“Black Sigatoka” infection in leaf area, premature ripening
and yield loss of 50 % or more
41
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.b: Black Sigatoka/ Black Leaf Streak

(2/2)
Control:
• Cultural practices such as
3-26 removal of infected leaves,
adequate spacing of plants
and efficient drainage within
orchards
• Use of resistant cultivars e.g.
FHIA 17, 18, 25, some
Cavendish varieties like
Williams and Grand Nain
• Avoid overhead irrigation
• Chemical control with
Photo: Ko Ko Maung, Bugwood.org, (CC BY-NC 3.0 US) fungicides such as
Mancozeb (DITHANE M-
A Banana leaf with symptom of “Black
45®) or Thiophanate-
Sigatoka” infection
Methyl (TOPSIN M
42
Liquid®)
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.c: Cigar-end Rot

General Description:
• The fungus invades the dry flower
parts and penetrates into the skin
• Favoured by high humidity due to
3-27 overcrowded orchard or stool and
abundant leaf trash
Symptoms:
• Tips of the attacked Banana fingers
undergo a dry rot with an ashy gray
appearance looking like a cigar
Control:
• Field hygiene and removal of excess
suckers
Photo: ©Scot Nelson (CC: BY 2.0) • Male flower bud should be removed
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/5670474991
at 15 cm below the last hand after
“Cigar-end Rot” damage on a completion of bunch formation
Banana fruit • Use of fungicides, such as
– Propineb (Antracol WP70®)
– Thiophanate-Methyl (Topsin M
Liquid®) 43
– Mancozeb (Dithane M-45 WP®)
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.d: Banana Bacterial Wilt

3-28 3-29

Photo: © IITA (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/iita-media-

Photo: © Rose Kamau, MOALF 2019 library/6755031667/in/photostream/

Xanthomonas Wilt-
infected banana Banana fruit infected with
pseudo-stem Xanthomonas “Bacterial Wilt”44
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.d: Banana Bacterial Wilt

General Description: Control:
• The disease is easily spread by • Field Sanitation:
use of infected planting • Disinfecting farm tools after
materials and farm tools use and washing hands e.g.
• Transmitted by insects including use of Jik 1:5 water
bees through the male bud • Uprooting, destroying and
• Lacatan is a very susceptible burying infected plants
variety • Disbudding of male flower
Symptoms: bud after fruiting
• Withering of flowers, wilting of • Observe quarantine
leaves and premature • Use clean planting materials
ripening of fruits
• The leaf sheath turns dull
green, scalded & breaks at
petiole, then all leaves
collapse at pseudo-stem
• Cross section of the pseudo-
stem when cut reveals yellow
discoloration bacterial ooze
• Un-even and premature
ripening of fruits 45
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.e: Bunchy Top Disease

3-30 Description
• Virus disease transmitted by aphids
at any growth stage
Symptoms
• Starts as dark green dots/streaks on
the minor veins or midrib
• Successive leaves become smaller,
chlorotic with upturned margins
• Leaves dry, brittle and erect giving a
rosetted “bunchy top” appearance
• Severe in newly planted suckers
• No flowering or very small bunches
Control
• Control Aphids
• Rogue and destroy infected plants
© Pearson, M.N. Courtesy of EcoPort, www.ecoport.org
• Use virus-free planting material46
Banana Bunchy Top Virus
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

4.7.2.f: Anthracnose Disease

Description
• An important Post-harvest disease
especially in transit
Symptoms
• Pin-size brown/black sunken spots
3-31 on green fruits
• Spots’ centres darken (fruiting
bodies)
• Masses of spores produced with a
characteristic salmon (pinkish)
Anthracnose fruit rot on banana colour under moist conditions.
© A.A. Seif, icipe, (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
• Pulp not affected unless over-ripe
Control
• Good field sanitation
• Minimize bruising in the post-harvest
• Hot water treatment (50oC for 5
mins) on fruits 47
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

5. Harvest
5-1 5-2

Photo: SHEP PLUS Photo: SHEP PLUS

Harvested banana bunches A harvested bunch of

ready for transport to the bananas on display
market 48
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

5. Harvest
5.1 Harvesting Indices (G20: Q17) 5. Harvest
• Fruit Size: length and volume of • Harvesting involves:
fruit increases as fruit matures – Cutting the bunch from
• Fruit Shape: the pseudo-stem
– At early stage of – For tall varieties, the
development, individual fruits pseudo-stem may be cut
are angular in cross-section half-way to allow the
– As the fruit matures, the bunch to be reached and
fingers become more thereby prevent it from
rounded falling on the ground
• Peel and Pulp Color: • Harvesting starts 9 – 18
months after planting
– During maturation, the color
of peel changes from deep • Banana comes to full
green to light green or production in 2 – 3 years
yellow • Average yield in Kenya has
– The pulp color changes from been 6tons/acre
cream to orange yellow • Under good management
yields of 20tons/acre can be
achieved
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6. Post-Harvest Handling
• Bunches must be handled 6.2 Value Addition Techniques:
gently to avoid bruising Cleaning, Sorting, Grading, &
Processing (G20: Q19)
6.1 Containers & Packaging • Sorting: Remove undesirable
Materials (G20: Q18) fruits such as those with
• Farmers usually transport and thrips/ mechanical damage,
market their bananas while in rust damage and severe
form of bunches latex staining
• This form of handling exposes • Processing:
the fruits to mechanical – There are many products
damage thereby reducing their which can be made from
quality Bananas
• In order to reduce this damage – Some of these products
it is advisable to remove the include flour, juices,
hands and pack in reusable chips/crisps, jams/jelly,
plastic containers sweets and wine

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7. Post-Harvest Handling
7-3

Photo SHEP PLUS

Banana bunch being weighed

before selling 51
MOALF/SHEP PLUS

Reference
• The proposed agrochemicals are in accordance with “Products Registered for Use on
Crops Version 1_2018”. The registered agrochemicals are subject to change. Please
refer to the latest registered agrochemicals by Pest Control Product Board.
• Infonet Biovision (https://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Bananas)

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THANK YOU
ASANTE SANA
DOMO ARIGATO
GOZAIMASU
Contact: SHEP PLUS Office (4th Floor, N.H.I.F.
Building, Upper Hill, Nairobi)
Tel. No: 0737-293867/0712-504095
E-mail: info.shepunit@gmail.com
SMALLHOLDER HORTICULTURE EMPOWERMENT & PROMOTION PROJECT FOR LOCAL AND UP-SCALING(SHEP PLUS) © 2016
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