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The evaluation of different banana bunch protection materials on selected banana cultivars for optimum fruit production and quality in Nampula Province, Mozambique

Mozambique has potential to boost its banana exports. To fully realise this, agronomic
practices in production should be fully developed to combat physiological disorders
associated with banana within the region. Currently, lower temperatures are being
experienced in some production sites, consequently affecting yield and quality. The
objective of this study was to evaluate use of bunch protection covers on banana
cultivars Grand Nain and Williams banana cultivars, for performance under different fruit
protection materials to determine best fruit protection bag suitable for Metocheria,
Nampula. Plants were not selected near plantation borders, drainage canals, cable way
and roads, as this would influence the growth pattern of plants and fruit development.
Treatments consisted of control (no bag on bunches), white perforated polyethylene,
white non-perforated polyethylene, blue perforated polyethylene, blue non perforated
polyethylene, green perforated polyethylene, green polyethylene non perforated and
cheese cloth bags arranged in a complete randomised block designed CRBD with 26
plants replicated eight times.
During 2012/2013, bagging treatments did not considerably improve weight in hands,
banana finger weight, total fruit weight, marketable weight and percentage marketable
fruit weight and box stem ratio (BSR) of Grand Nain. However there was reduction of
fruit defects in all bagging treatments compared to control (no bags). In Williams during
the 2013 season bagging treatments improved weight but no significant differences
were observed on weight of hands in 2012. Bagging of banana bunches reduce defects
in both seasons. Both green and blue perforated bags improved box stem ratio. Bagging treatments increased Williams‟s cultivar yield (per ton) in both seasons / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/15380
Date14 January 2015
CreatorsKutinyu, Rodrick
ContributorsMudau, F. N., Fraser, C
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDissertation
Format1 online resource (x, 70 leaves) : colored illustrations

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