What are the common propagation methods for bananas?
Bananas can be propagated by suckers, corms, division and tissue culture methods. Among these, division is the method used in conventional propagation, while large-scale seedling production for planting adopts tissue culture rapid propagation technology. Below is a brief introduction to 3 of the commonly used propagation methods.
1. Sucker division propagation method
In spring, from March to April, sword-leaf suckers with a height of more than 40 cm are used for division propagation. When dividing, use a specially made long-handled sharp spade to cut between the sucker and the mother plant. The dug-up sucker should preferably carry a small corm, and the cut surface is first smeared with plant ash or dried in the shade. The survival rate after planting is high, and the plant grows rapidly.
2. Underground stem cutting propagation method
Dig out the underground stem of the mother plant, cut it into seven or eight pieces with a knife, and cut the small ones into two pieces, each piece with 1-2 buds and weighing about 120 grams. Smear the cut surface with plant ash, and after drying in the shade, plant them flat in the nursery bed with the bud eyes facing upward at a spacing of 15 cm between plants and rows. The best time for cutting is November to December; most can sprout from January to February of the following year, and when the seedlings reach 40-50 cm in height from May to June, they are dug out for planting. They can bloom and bear fruit at the same time as suckers planted in the same period.
3.. Tissue culture
For cultivating disease-free seedlings and mass seedling production, it has already been widely promoted and applied in production. The fruit of the plant is the same as that of bananas grown from normal seedlings. Using it not only allows a large number of test-tube plantlets to be obtained in a short time, but also removes viruses such as mosaic disease, which helps increase yield.
After banana propagation and seedling raising are completed, it is best to plant in spring, and either trench planting or pit planting can be used.