Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

Asie – Pacifique / Asia – Pacific : K. Pushkaran
Figure 2. Banana intercropped with yam.
agroclimatic factors and the market preference, any seasonal crop that will not unfavourably
compete with banana for sunlight could effectively be grown as an intercrop
with banana, supplying added output. Green manure crops are often grown in situ i n
banana gardens and ploughed in or uprooted and applied. Studies have proved that
intercropping increases income from Nendran banana (Pushkaran et al. 1989b).
Intercropping dioscorea with banana was found to be more profitable than sole cropping
of banana by Nair and Suja (1996).
An intensive system of banana cultivation, particularly Nendran, is common in the
southern parts of Kerala. Here the land is taken on lease from the landowner by a
banana grower for one year and very intensively cropped. A farmer/worker plants only a
limited number of plants. After field preparations, along with the planting of banana, he
plants intercrops. More than one intercrop is usually grown at a time, depending on the
canopy features and duration of intercrops. The number and kind of intercrops grown
vary from place to place. The scope for cultivating vegetables with Nendran banana is
tremendous, especially around the townships (Pushkaran 1995b). After the shooting of
banana when diffused light is available, again suitable intercrops are raised. Intercrops
are selected, planting geometry fixed, planting dates adjusted and intercultural
operations done in such a way that the land, water and solar energy are utilised to the
maximum extent. The skill/technique of management is the major factor in which the
individual farmer/worker plays the pivotal role in making the entire crop combination/sequence
the most ideal for productivity and profit. A package for this sort of
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