Articles
PHENOLOGICAL AND PRODUCTION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GREENHOUSE AND OPEN-AIR BANANAS (MUSA ACUMINATA COLLA AAA CV. DWARF CAVENDISH) IN CANARY ISLANDS.
The use of plastic houses for banana cultivation, a technique first developed in the Canaries in the late 70’s, allows both a greater foliar surface and an increase in daytime temperatures.
This paper deals with the effect of this technique in two different climatic environments.
Phenological and production parameters were recorded for 50 plants chosen at random from commercial plots (2 greenhouses and 2 open-air plantings) during 5 years.
Temperature and humidity recordings were taken for given winter and summer periods.
The results of the trial indicate some differences between greenhouse and open-air bananas, the former exhibiting greater height and width, more evident in the south than in the north exposition, with the largest dimensions in the southern greenhouse plants.
Although the total number of leaves per cycle remains the same, the interval between successive harvestings is shorter for greenhouse bananas in both locations.
This can be explained for the north area mainly due to a reduction in winter leaf emission rate and in emergence-harvest interval, both a consequence of temperature increase.
In the southern expositions, other factors such as desuckering practices, play a key role.
Production differences in favour of greenhouse bananas are particularly clear in the north.
The findings contribute towards indicating the benefits of cultivating bananas under plastic in the subtropical conditions prevalent in the Canaries (particularly on the nortern slopes), the main advantages being shorter cycles and higher yields, both of which will increase the economic feasibility of this crop.