Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

A field experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during 2020-2023 to standardise nutrient levels and fertigation schedules for improving the yield of red banana (Musa acuminata, AAA). The study evaluated the interaction effects of four fertigation levels: F₁, 60% RDF; F₂, 80% RDF; F₃, 100% RDF; and F₄, 120% RDF. The split-application schedules were S₁, equal splits of N and K at weekly intervals; S₂, equal splits of N and K at fortnightly intervals; and S₃, split application of N and K according to crop growth stages. The results indicated significant differences in vegetative growth and yield attributes. Although the highest fertigation level (F₄; 120% RDF) maximised plant height and pseudostem girth, the interaction treatment F₂S₃ (80% RDF applied according to phenological growth stages) showed superior overall performance. F₂S₃ reduced the total crop duration to 414.33 days and the shooting-to-harvest interval to 89.00 days. F₃S₃ recorded the highest numerical yield (42.17 t ha^-1), which was statistically on par with F₂S₃ (41.79 t ha^-1). F₂S₃ also recorded the highest number of fingers per bunch (84.33). Despite the marginally higher yield under F₃S₃, F₂S₃ recorded the highest benefit-cost (B:C) ratio (3.53), indicating greater economic efficiency. Therefore, applying 80% RDF of N and K according to phenological growth stages was the most viable treatment under the experimental conditions.