Evaluation of Farmer Practices in High Density Banana Production Agronomic Aspects in Taveta County Kenya

The most significant fruit crop in Kenya is the banana, which accounts for 35 percent of total volume (1.08 MT), followed by the mango (17 percent). Recently, Taita Taveta County designated this crop as a priority value chain. In Taita Taveta County’s Taveta Sub-County, banana is becoming more and more popular as a result of market-driven horticultural production intensification and land pressure. This study assesses how well farmer agronomic practices with four spacings of interest (2by 2M, 3 by 4, 3by 3M and 4by4M) adhere to suggested best practices under HDP systems. Data was gathered from 329 farms chosen through the MPEST banana project, secondary data collection, focus groups, direct field observations, and a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 17 to draw up descriptive statistics, (frequency tables, means, and percentages). The results showed that Grand Nain to be frequently grown by farmers in the study subcounty at high planting densities. Significant yield differences were found between high-density planting (2m × 2m) and wider (4m × 4m and 3m × 3m) spacing. During planting, farmyard manure application was significantly (94.7%) higher for the HDP systems compared with the wider spacing (86.1%-90.8%). Irrigation (flood or drip) water was inconsistently scheduled and not correlated to crop evapotranspiration demands under 2m x 2m, 3m x 3m, 4m x 3m, and 4m x 4m as 96.5%, 67.8%, 71.7%, and 90.8%, respectively. Canopy management and desuckering were irregular, with limited understanding of their influence on light interception and plant vigor. In the 2m x 2m, 3m x 3m, 4m x 3m and 4m x 4m spacing’s farmers maintained about 2, 3, 4 and 3 suckers per stool, respectively. The diseases of economic importance are Fusarium wilt and Sigatoka leaf streak disease. The frequent incidence of banana weevil was due to poor field sanitation and inadequate monitoring. Farmers practicing HDP realized higher productivity associated with an increased number of plants and this should be encouraged for spreading to others areas outside the county. The study recommends a strategy to intensify banana production using high-density production systems and in particular with reference to land use efficiency.