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The Banana Board reminded farmers to prioritize proper use of fertilizers after heavy rainfall to promote crop recovery.
Janet Connie, general manager of the Banana Association, told JIS News that a period of heavy rainfall could lead to the depletion of essential nutrients in the soil.
“Especially when there are hurricanes or floods, all the fertilizer gets lost or used up. So it’s very necessary to replenish fertilizer, and bananas use a lot of fertilizer,” she said.
Ms. Kenney said in a recent interview on Get the Facts that fertilization is essential to recovery.
The committee does not recommend fertilizing beyond six weeks, and the first fertilizer that should be used is nitrogen.
“Nitrogen fertilizers promote leaf growth and we really want to promote leaf growth. We use ammonium sulphate, which is a nitrogen fertilizer, and we recommend using four ounces per strand per mat. If you use urea, which is another form of nitrogen fertilizer, use half as much, so it depends on what you use,” Ms Connie said.
In addition to controlling pests and diseases that can affect plant growth, such as leaf spot, Ms. Connie also recommends fertilizing according to the frequency of rainfall.
“If it rains frequently, we will ask you to break up the fertiliser and apply it more frequently. But we will tell farmers how to do this. The type of fertiliser you apply will also be based on our assessment and instructions,” she said.
For more information on the types of fertilizers their crops need, banana and plantain growers can call the Banana Commission at 876-922-5490/876-922-4327 or email bananaboard@cwjamaica.com or visit their office at 10 South Main Street in Kingston.
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