Densification of “Apple Type” Banana Plants in Transition System for Organic Production, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Resumen

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of planting densities of apple type banana "BRS Princesa" on the development and productivity of the crop in two production cycles. The research was carried out in the agricultural years of 2014 to 2016 in the Department of Horticulture of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), municipality of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The treatments were composed of planting densities, being 1200 (3.33 x 2.5 m); 1600 (2.5 x 2.5 m); 2000 (2.0 x 2.5 m); 2400 (1.67 x 2.5 m); 2800 (1.43 x 2.5 m) and 3200 (1.25 x 2.5 m) plants per hectare, arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. In the vegetative stage, plant height and base diameter were measured periodically. In the production period, bunch weight, fruit weight, number of leaves, number of fruits, weight of the stalk, leaves active at harvest and yield of the crop were measured. The data were submitted to analysis of variance through the F test, adjusted to regression models. There were no significant differences in plant height, but for the base diameter variable, higher values were observed in the lower population density in the two production cycles. In the production stage, it is highlighted that the plant densification extended the life cycle and the production cycle of banana plants. Although the densification promoted a lower bunch weight, a lower quantity and weight of fruits, fortuitously, promoted higher productivity, with values above 20 t.ha-1 in both cycles.