Where are bananas grown? A look at the latest main production regions across China
China is one of the oldest countries in the world to cultivate bananas, and most of the main banana varieties grown worldwide were spread from China. Bananas are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions within 30° north and south latitude in the Eastern, Western and Southern Hemispheres, and 130 countries around the world cultivate bananas. Central America produces the most, followed by Asia. Bananas in China are mainly distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Yunnan and Hainan, with small amounts also cultivated in Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing.
Banana production regions in China
1. Guangxi has Lingshan, Pubei, Yulin, Nanning and Qinzhou as its main production areas.
2. Guangdong has Zhanjiang, Maoming, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Guangzhou and Chaozhou as its main production areas.
3. In Taiwan, China, bananas are mainly grown in Kaohsiung and Pingtung, followed by Taichung and Taitung and other places.
4. Fujian is mainly concentrated in Zhangpu, Pinghe, Nanjing, Changtai, Zhao'an, Hua'an, Yunxiao, Longhai, Xiamen, Nan'an, Putian, Zhangzhou (Tianbao) and Xianyou and other counties (cities, districts).
5. Bananas in Hainan are mainly distributed in Danzhou, Chengmai, Sanya, Dongfang and other places, with Dongfang producing the most.
World banana production regions
The world's main production bases include Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Martinique in Central America and the West Indies; Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador in South America; the Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Guinea and Nigeria in Africa; and tropical countries in Asia such as India, Thailand and the Philippines, all of which have large areas under cultivation.
The growing environment of bananas
1. Bananas prefer a hot and humid climate and grow vigorously in soil with a deep soil layer, loose texture and good drainage. Irrigation cultivation has also been successful in semi-arid areas similar to southern Jamaica. Wild bananas are grown from seed, while cultivated bananas can be propagated by division using suckers and pseudobulbs; the first harvest takes 10-15 months, after which harvesting is almost continuous.
2. Banana roots are delicate and have strict soil requirements. Heavy clay soil with poor aeration and poor structure, or poor drainage, is extremely unfavorable to root development. Sandy loam with a clay content of <40% and a water table below 1 m is suitable, especially alluvial loam or humus loam. Practice has shown that if the soil's physical properties are poor, even a very adequate supply of fertilizer and water will hardly promote normal banana growth. Soil pH of 4.5-7.5 is suitable, with above 6.0 being best, because below 5.5 Fusarium multiplies rapidly in the soil and wilt disease is more likely to attack. Bananas are not very sensitive to saline conditions, but soil with exchangeable sodium ions exceeding 300 mg/L is also unsuitable. An average monthly rainfall of 100 mm is most suitable; below 50 mm is a dry season, and because of water shortage bananas take longer to shoot, have short fingers and low yields per unit area. If the banana plantation accumulates water or is flooded, in mild cases the leaves turn yellow, leaf spot disease is easily triggered and yields drop greatly; in severe cases the root mass suffocates and rots, causing the plants to die.
3. Most banana production areas have an annual average temperature above 21°C, with a few around 20°C. Bananas require high temperatures and high humidity, with a growth temperature of 20-35°C, the most suitable being 24-32°C, and the minimum should not be lower than 15.5°C. Bananas are afraid of low temperatures and avoid frost and snow, and their cold tolerance is weaker than that of plantains and Fenjiao bananas.
4. The critical temperature at which banana growth is inhibited is 10°C. When it drops to 5°C, the leaves suffer cold damage and turn yellow, and at 1-2°C the leaves die. The fruit suffers cold damage at 12°C, and after ripening the peel color is grayish-yellow, affecting its commercial value.