Impact of Organic Amendments and Mineral Fertilizers on the Growth of Vitroplants of the Great Dwarf Cultivar of Banana (Musa sp) Installed on a Ferralsol

Abstract

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, banana is the third largest source of starch after cassava and maize and is the primary fruit crop. However, its cultivation remains secondary due to its high mineral demand, the infertility of tropical soils (ferralsol) and the low income of farmers. The dynamics of mineral elements and the understanding of its influence on crop growth are a necessity for a better use of fertilizers and an optimal crop production.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of organo-mineral amendment inputs on banana growth and improvement of soil chemical properties. The experiment was set up in a randomised complete block design with 9 treatments spotted 6 times. The treatments consisted of T0 (unfertilized control) ; T1 : 250g NPK (10-20-10) +187.5g urea (46%) ; T2 : 500g NPK (10-20-10) + 375g urea (46%); T3 : 750g NPK (10-20-10) +562.5g urea (46%) ; T4 : 1000g NPK compound fertilizer (10-20-10) +750g urea (46%), T5 : 12 kg (chicken droppings) ; T6 : 18 kg (chicken droppings) ; T7 : 24 kg (chicken droppings) and T8 : 30 kg (chicken droppings) per plant. The vitroplant banana of the great dwarf cultivar were planted and vegetative parameters were observed. Before and during the trial, soil samples were taken from the surface layer for chemical analysis. The results show that the different doses applied to the soil significantly decreased the sodium content (p=0.008) after the trial. On the other hand, similar effects were observed on the other chemical parameters (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Total C and Organic N) before and during the experiment. On the crop, the results show positive effects of organic amendments and mineral fertilization on the development of banana vitroplants. The mineral fertilizer treatments showed a high performance on the crop followed by the manure treatments compared to the control treatment which showed a low performance. However, positive relationships were obtained on soil mineral elements with some crop parameters. Based on these results, it should be noted that the use of organo-mineral amendments contributes to the growth of banana and the reduction of sodium in the soil through the presence of organic matter.