Banana and plantain are perennial crops that take the appearance of trees as they mature. Diverse cultivars are grown.
Is plantain a annual or perennial?
perennial
Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) Broadleaf plantain is a perennial broadleaf plant that infrequently behaves as an annual or biennial. Members of the plantain family have basal rosettes of leaves and leafless spikes of inconspicuous flowers.
How many months does plantain grow?
Flowering takes 10-15 months of mild temperatures and yet another 4-8 months to fruit. Flowers are produced from the pseudostem and develop into a cluster of hanging fruit.
How often do plantains grow?
In favourable conditions, the leaves have a 120 to 130-day growth cycle and can become 150 to 400 cm long and 70 to 100 cm wide. Plantain bananas grow like grapes, in bunches or clusters. The harvest is carried out manually around 3 to 4 months after flowering, and continues throughout the year.
How many years does it take plantain to produce?
Plantain takes about 8 months to start to yield and about 3 months to mature. That’s to say, it takes about a year to have the first harvest from the planting date.
How many times does plantain produce in a year?
Each grown up plant would produce a minimum of three suckers, and if he could harvest one sucker from each and could sell at N100, the farmer would make additional N150,000. The harvest cycles continue for a minimum of four to six years, or more, depending on land rejuvenation system and farm maintenance practices.
Is plantain a flowering plant?
Plantago major, the broadleaf plantain, white man’s footprint, waybread, or greater plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae.
How long does a plantain tree live?
However, a plantation can grow for 25 years or more if managed properly. The trees can reach heights between 2 and 9 m (6.6–29.5 ft).
How many plantain can I plant per acre?
Plant density: For plantains use 1,000 to 1,200 plants per acre with planted distances of 6´x 6´ or 6´x 7´ for the mountainous zone, and 10´x 4´ for the coastal plains.
How many plantain trees are in a hectare?
1600 plantains
Establishment of orchards at 1600 plantains per hectare with two suckers maintained per rootstock in subsequent cycles produced consistently good quality marketable fingers and sustained high yield.
Are plantains seasonal?
Since it will fruit all year round, the plantain is a reliable all-season staple food, particularly in developing countries with inadequate food storage, preservation and transportation technologies.
Which fertilizer is best for plantain?
Potassium Humate
It can also be applied to the leaves of crops. Potassium humate is purely organic and can be used by plantain farmers who practise organic farming. Potassium humate can improve the efficiency of fertilizers and can also positively impact the microbial life of the soil.
What is the difference between a plantain tree and a banana tree?
Both of these plants grow pseudostems that appear to form a complete trunk, but it is in fact various offshoots of the plant itself. The banana tree grows flowers that are white or cream, while plantain trees grow red or maroon flowers. However, they both produce fruit in a similar fashion as well.
How lucrative is plantain plantation?
Marketing plantains to make millions in profits
Assuming a farmer could harvest 1,500 bunches at the end of one year and could sell each at N1000. The total sale would be N1. 5 million. The farmer could also sell plantain suckers as planting materials to other farmers.
How do you manage plantain farming?
- 1.1 1. Conduct a feasibility study.
- 1.2 2. Get yourself trained in modern farming.
- 1.3 3. Acquire farmland.
- 1.4 4. Land preparation.
- 1.5 5. Install drip irrigation.
- 1.6 6. Get clean tissue cultured plantain seedlings.
- 1.7 7. Do the planting.
- 1.8 8. Farm management.
What crop can be planted with plantain?
Intercropping of plantains with food crops : maize, cassava and cocoyams.
How many plantain can I plant per plot?
SPACE THE PLANTAIN FARM
The recommended spacing is 3 m between the plantain rows and 2 m within the row (in other words. 3 m x 2 m). An alternative is 2.5 m x 2.5 m. If spaced 3 m x 2 m, 1 hectare should contain 1667 plants, but with a spacing of 2.5 m x 2.5 m, it should contain 1600 plants.
How long does it take for plantain to grow in Nigeria?
The farmer needs between 8 to 9 months for all precautions and care to get the first harvest. The new bunch ripens within a week. Be careful not to drop the bunch when the main plant is cut. Now you know how to grow plantains, the process is not so simple but it gives a good result.
How do you make plantains grow faster?
Full sun is ideal, but shade has its benefits too. Plantains grow fastest and produce the most fruit in full sun.
Is plantain a tree or a plant?
Climbing up to 12 to 15 feet tall, the plantain tree is known for ornamental beauty, even without the fruit. Its giant leaves wrap around its trunk and its purple bud-like flowers are produced from the pseudostem and develop into a cluster of hanging fruit. This tree isn’t necessarily the easiest to grow.
Is plantain a shrub or tree?
A plantain tree is an herbaceous flowering plant in the banana family that produces starchy fruits called plantains. Despite the fact that plantain plants are commonly referred to as “trees” and can grow to heights up to 20 to 25 feet, they are not actually trees.