Fertigation Schedule for Banana — Stage-wise Guide for India

Banana is India's most productive fruit crop — but also one of the most nutrient-demanding. A G9 Cavendish plant absorbs nearly 400g of potassium per year. Get fertigation wrong and you get undersized bunches, poor finger weight, and colour problems at export.

Nutrient requirements
Phase 1 — Establishment (months 1–3)
Phase 2 — Vegetative growth (months 3–7)
Phase 3 — Shooting and bunch development (months 7–9)
Phase 4 — Bunch filling and harvest (months 9–12)
Micronutrient calendar

Nutrient Requirements for Banana (G9, 1 Acre)

Nutrient	Annual Requirement	Critical Stage
Nitrogen (N)	200 kg/ha	Vegetative (months 3–6)
Phosphorus (P₂O₅)	100 kg/ha	Root establishment (months 1–2)
Potassium (K₂O)	300 kg/ha	Bunch development (months 8–12)
Calcium	High	Fruit fill
Magnesium	Medium	Throughout
Iron	High (alkaline soils)	Vegetative
Zinc	Medium	Vegetative, bunch

Phase 1 — Establishment (Months 1–3)

Focus: Root development, shoot establishment. Use phosphorus-rich program.

Month	Product	Rate	Frequency
Month 1	MAP 12:61:00	1 kg/acre/week	Weekly
Month 1	Calcium Nitrate	1 kg/acre/week	Weekly
Month 2	NPK 19:19:19	2 kg/acre/week	Weekly
Month 3	NPK 19:19:19	3 kg/acre/week	Weekly

Soil application at planting: Zinc Sulphate 33% 5 kg/acre + SSP 40 kg/acre mixed with FYM.

Phase 2 — Vegetative Growth (Months 3–7)

Peak nitrogen demand. This phase determines sucker count, pseudostem girth, and ultimately bunch weight.

Month	Product	Rate
Month 3–4	NPK 19:19:19	4–5 kg/acre/week
Month 4–5	Urea 46% (supplementary)	2 kg/acre/week via drip
Month 5–6	NPK 19:19:19	5 kg/acre/week
Month 6–7	NPK 19:19:19 + Calcium Nitrate	3+2 kg/acre/week

Phase 3 — Shooting and Bunch Initiation (Months 7–9)

Shift from N-dominant to balanced K program as inflorescence emerges.

MAP 12:61:00 — 2 kg/acre/week (promotes flower development)
Calcium Nitrate — 2 kg/acre/week (finger development)
NPK 13:00:45 — 3 kg/acre/week (start K dominance)
MKP 00:52:34 — 1.5 kg/acre/week (zero N at bunch emergence)

Phase 4 — Bunch Filling to Harvest (Months 9–12)

Maximum potassium phase. Potassium drives finger weight, peel thickness (for export) and green life.

NPK 13:00:45 — 5 kg/acre/week
SOP 00:00:50 — 2 kg/acre/week (chloride-free K for quality)
Calcium Nitrate — 1 kg/acre/week until 3 weeks before harvest
Potassium Silicate — 2 mL/L foliar × 2 sprays (strengthens peel)

Micronutrient Calendar

Product	Rate	Timing
Iron EDDHA 6% (alkaline soil)	1.5 kg/acre	Month 2, month 6
Iron DTPA 11%	0.5 g/L foliar	Monthly months 3–8
Magnesium Sulphate 9.9%	5 g/L foliar	Every 3 weeks throughout
Zinc EDTA 12%	0.5 g/L foliar	Monthly months 2–8
Boron 20% WSP	1 g/L foliar	Month 7 (bunch initiation)