The effects of different applications in greenhouse banana cultivation on fruit yield and quality

This research was conducted on the Azman banana kind in the producer greenhouse in the town of Limonlu, Erdemli District of Mersin province, during the cultivation periods of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. In banana cultivation, the plant removes high amounts of plant nutrients from the soil and conventional fertilizers play a significant role in the development of the plant. However, the increasing use of conventional fertilizers can pose health risks and increases can be observed in the residue (nitrate, nitrite) content of fruits. In addition to these, there has been also a huge increase in the production costs of the producers with the increasing fertilizer prices in recent years, and the producers want to continue the production with both high quality and efficiency and lower costs. In this study, it was also aimed to reduce the production cost of the producer and increase the yield and quality of the fruit with organic fertilizers useful for the soil. In the study, besides important quality criteria such as banana waste, organic fertilizer, farm manure, ethoprophos nematicide and conventional fertilizer applications and their different combinations, fruit yield and volatile aroma compounds, organic acids, sugars, total phenol values, their effects on minerals such as N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn in fruit flesh and fruit peel were analyzed. At the same time, the effects of different fertilizer sources on nitrate and nitrite accumulation in fruits and on the density of nematodes, which are the main pests for banana plants in the roots and soil, were also determined. According to the results of the research, the highest values of bunch weight (kg), finger weight (g), finger diameter (mm) and finger length (cm) in both cultivation seasons were obtained from the sixth application consisting of combinations of Novatec + mocap + burnt farm manure. However in the organic acid values included in the quality criteria; in both cultivation periods, the best results were obtained from the fourth (novatec + banana waste) and the fifth (novatec + AKC) applications, and the fifth (novatec + AKC) application with the vitamin C content of the ripe fruits. Total aroma components were obtained mostly among the fruits of the second (novatec + ethoprophos) application in the first cultivation period; in the second cultivation period, on the other hand, it was obtained from the fruits of the sixth (novatec+ethoprophos+burnt farm manure) cultivation. It has been observed that applications of Ethoprophos and burnt farm manure have positive effects on the aroma components. Against nematode damage, which is the main pest for banana plants, the best results determined at the lowest intensity in both cultivation periods in September measurements after the application of ethoprophos and burnt farm manure, were obtained from the second (Novatec + ethoprophos) and sixth (novatec + ethoprophos + burnt farm manure) applications. The lowest residual content (nitrate, nitrite) values in fruits were obtained from the plants of the third application where Novatec + burnt farm manure was applied in both cultivation seasons, as well.