EXPLORING YIELD-LIMITING FACTORS OF BANANA PLANTATIONS AT CHAMO SUB-BASIN, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Bananas (Musa spp.) are one of the most important fruit crops in the Musaceae family, and they obtained from intra- and inter-specific crosses of Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. In Gamo zone Arbaminch Zuriya woreda is one of the main banana growers and providers on a national level. The Dwarf Cavendish and Giant Cavendish bananas have been the most widely produced and consumed fruits in the area. However, banana yields are currently declining due to banana production and productivity threatening factors in the study area. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to identify the constraints of banana production in the Arba-Minch Zuriya woreda. A sample of banana producers from Ganta Kanchama Ochole kebele was selected for this study using a purposive sampling technique. The laboratory result of soil analysis indicated that most of the soil parameters analyzed were low to very low (e.g. Nitrogen 0.03 to 0.09%) in the field. This indicates the nitrogen content in large, medium, and small banana producers were insufficient. The other nutrients indicates the mean and standard deviation were Large (26.16±19.3) medium (26.4±18.9), small farms (22.8±18.3), and the overall average (25.13± 17.12) all have high available P nutrient content. And the exchangeable K nutrient content for banana producers' farms was small (2.49±1.65), medium (1.65±0.85), large (1.33±0.81), and overall average (1.83±1.2). The banana yield components were significantly correlated with total farm size (r=0. 75), banana farm size (r=0.81), farmers' experience (r=0.97), girth base (r=0.78), number of hands (r=0.72), and bunch weight (r=0.93) were positively correlated with banana age at (p<0.001). At (r=0.67), total farm size, and planting space were negatively (P<0.05) correlated to banana age. Finally, statistically significant variations that determine the productivity of banana include the age of banana , producers age distribution, socioeconomic characteristics, farmer experience, educational level, and the amount of labor source used for the banana farms. In general, study factors such as agronomic and socioeconomic constraints and soil nutrient parameters used on the banana farm have a statistically was significant impact on banana yield. The result further research aimed at reducing banana production constraints, the outcomes of the analyzed data were interpreted and management recommendations made for the improvement of bananas and productivity