The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchi, has licensed and transferred technology for manufacture of ‘Banana Sakthi,’ a micro nutrient mixture for banana crop, to a women farmers producers group in Kanyakumari district under Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM).
Banana is raised on about one lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu and the State produces about four million tonnes of banana every year. However, micronutrient deficiency is a common problem in banana cultivation and has a huge impact on yield and quality. ICAR-NRCB had focused its research on micronutrient requirements and formulated a micronutrient mixture ‘Banana Sakthi’. The mixture is being widely used by farmers of the State and it has gained popularity among the banana farming community, S. Uma, Director, ICAR-NRCB, said.
‘Banana Sakthi,’ corrects micronutrient deficiency and increases the ‘use efficiency’ of primary and secondary macronutrients in banana crop, thereby increasing productivity by 15% to 20% and enhancing quality, said K. J. Jeyabaskaran, Principal Scientist and inventor of the technology.
By using ‘Banana Sakthi’, farmers could hope to get an additional profit of Rs. 1 lakh per hectare. Application of the mixture also improves the shelf life and reduces the skin splitting of the fruit, he said.
J. Poorani, Principal Scientist, appreciated the team for transferring the technology and distributed certificates at a meeting held recently to mark the transfer of technology.
P. Suresh Kumar, Principal Scientist, other staff of NRCB and beneficiaries of the women farmers producers group were present.
