Effect of Yeast and Ascorbic Acid Application on Growth and Fruiting of Williams Banana Plants

Abstract

This study was conducted during two successive seasons (2016/2017 first ratoon and 2017/2018 second ratoon) of Williams banana plants. The plants grown in a private banana orchard, where clay loam soil under flood irrigation system, at 3.5x3.5m apart located at Nakada district, Quena Governorate, Egypt. Forty eight stools each containing three plants were chosen to evaluate the effect of yeast applied as soil drench and spraying ascorbic acid (V.C) on growth, yield and fruit quality. These treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design in split plot arrangement with three replicates. The obtained results could be summarized as follows. Ascorbic acid spraying significantly increased the length and circumference of pseudostem, leaf area and total leaf area/plant as well as percentage of N, P and K of leaves compared to unsprayed ones. Also, these treatments significantly increased the yield components and improved the fruit quality compared to unsprayed ones. Yeast application was very effective in enhancing all growth aspects, yield and fruit characteristics compared to untreated ones. All combinations of ascorbic acid spraying on the yeast treated plants resulted in a significant increament in all growth aspects, yield components and fruit quality as compared to check treatments. The best results regarding the growth and fruiting were obtained with ascorbic acid spraying (at 200 ppm) accompanied with yeast application (at 40 g/plant) compared to other tested treatments. It is evident from the foregoing results that the application yeast at 40 g/plant and ascorbic acid at 200 ppm application four times during growth season (April, June, August & October), singly or in combination improved the growth and yield of Williams banana plants.