Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

774 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 4
in competitive bidding. In contrast to this traditional eco-friendly farmer’s practice, a
package of recommended practices for each and every aspect remains to be put forward
by the banana researchers for widespread adoption, not only for Nendran but also other
commercial cultivars (Pushkaran 1995a).
Banana with intercrops
A number of crops are as intercrops with banana as the main crop. Generally intercrops
of short duration and short stature are only taken in the early stage of banana. Ve getables
like bhindi, amaranthus, curcurbits, chillies, brinjal and tubers like colocasia,
sweet potato, yam, coleus, ginger and tapioca and pulses like cowpea, green gram, black
gram and groundnut are common intercrops grown (Figure 2). Dioscorea is also grown
with bananas in some areas and trained over them. In fact, depending upon the
Figure 1.
“Kaizhakula”. Nendran:
attractive high grade
bunch.