The Nanjangud rasabale variety of banana.
| Photo Credit: M. A. Sriram
Department of Horticulture of Karnataka has advised farmers to go for cultivation of tissue cultured banana for higher yield and long-term benefits.In India, about 383 lakh tonnes of banana are produced annually in an area of 9 lakh hectares, with a productivity of 42 tonnes per hectare. However, in Karnataka, only 12 lakh tonnes are produced in an area of 46,000 hectares, with a productivity of only 26 tonnes per hectare. This is significantly lower than the national average. The main reason is that farmers are planting old and traditional banana seedlings due to lack of proper information, the department stated.To increase banana yield in Karnataka, the department is encouraging farmers to use advanced tissue-cultured banana seedlings. The department has cited 13 major differences between the traditional banana seedlings commonly used by farmers and the tissue culture seedlings prepared scientifically in the laboratory, for the information of farmers.Plant health and disease resistanceWhen traditional banana seedlings are used, there is a high possibility of diseases and pests spreading very quickly in the garden. However, since tissue culture seedlings are grown in a controlled environment in a laboratory, they are completely disease-free and healthy. The viability of the plants is also higher in tissue culture, while the survival rate of the plants in traditional seedlings is low, the department stated.Growth and harvesting periodWhen conventional banana plants are planted, the growth of the plants in the garden is not uniform, and the harvest comes at different times. This makes it difficult to market systematically. In contrast, since tissue culture plants grow evenly and uniformly, the entire garden crop is harvested at the same time. This helps farmers to harvest together as per the market demand.Yield and fruit qualityThe biggest advantage of tissue culture technology is that it gives very high and consistent yields. Its fruits are large in size, have uniform shape and excellent quality. But in conventional banana plants, the yield is low and unstable, and there is a lot of variation in the size and quality of the fruit.Water, fertiliser and disease managementIn conventional farming, water and fertiliser are likely to be wasted, and management is difficult due to the high prevalence of diseases. The water and fertiliser given to the same tissue culture seedlings are used very efficiently and effectively. Disease management is easy as the disease rate is very low.Cost of cultivation and total profitWhen considering the initial cost, the purchase cost of conventional banana seedlings is low, and the initial cost of tissue culture seedlings is higher. However, from the perspective of long-term sustainable farming, there is a high possibility of disease accumulation in the soil in the traditional system, and the labour and maintenance cost is often unstable. However, due to easy maintenance in tissue culture, not only is the labour cost reduced, but farmers get the highest profit in the long run as the fruits get a better price in the market.Where to purchase banana seedlingsFarmers can purchase saplings from the official and trusted source of the department, and make financial progress without being cheated by private individuals.Farmers can obtain high-quality disease-free tissue culture banana saplings at a fair price from the Bangalore Biological Centre, Hulimavu, opposite Royal Meenakshi Mall.The department officials can be contacted over 7975736459 or 9880234281. Published - May 30, 2026 04:01 pm IST
