Dr Ali Muhammad Khushk, M. Ibrahim Lashari Sindh’s banana has lost its flavour and sweetness due to global warming. The area and production which grew to record 23,500 hectares and 209,800 tons, respectively in 1989-90 is declining. Initially it was the ‘bunchy top’ diseases and then the drought. Banana requires a consistent supply of moisture to maintain its vigour and growth.

While Sindh has tropical arid climate, and traditionally the farmers compensate demand and supply difference through frequent irrigations. Water shortage led the crop to permanent wilting. High temperatures and strong winds geared the impact by splitting leaf sheaths just after their emergence.

The leaf life has reduced to 10-15 days from that of 25-30 days. Banana plant is heavy consumer of plant food nutrients, especially potash and nitrogen. Continuous exotic cultivation and imbalanced supplement of plant food nutrients, especially potash has eroded the soils during the last four decades.

Sindh contributes about 70 to 80 per cent in banana acreage and production. The horticulturists have developed disease prevention technology through cultural practices.

Production of any crop depends on the combination of different inputs and resources allocation. Banana production is a complex process and can be conceived as a function of several variables.

Knowledge of resource inputs/production practices adopted is essential for profitable input combinations at micro level and for the researchers for formulating plans for improvement of the sector productivity at macro level.

It has been found that 35 per cent of sample respondents obtained the planting material from progressive growers.

Whereas, 27 per cent of the producers considered the health of plants, and 24 per cent used the planting material from their own crop. It was observed that banana growers were conscious of the planting material because of the disease problem. Growers avoid disease carrier plants for their orchards. The number of suckers required for one acre was 1084 at average and per sucker planting cost was Rs2.

The healthy planting material is essential to achieve good yields and quality produce. The growers who lack technical guidance produce high risk material for disease propagation.

To keep plants healthy it is necessary to meet the nutritional requirement. Fertility of soils needs to be looked into. Growers use farm yard manure (FMY) which is usually purchased from Hyderabad and the towns where the urban livestock industry produces sufficient quantity of FMY with no alternative use.

This also requires soil nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. In most cases banana growers sell their orchards to contractors. After the agreement the management of orchards is the contractor’s responsibility. Water management too, is important but little scientific information is available on this subject.

Planting of banana orchard is an economic and resource allocation decision. At initial stage the main cost involved are land development, labour utilization and input application. Land development includes ploughing, planking, levelling and layout of the orchards.

It is a profitable profession, therefore majority of growers want to increase the acreage but the problems of bunchy top virus/disease, shortage of irrigation water and lack of credit facility are reported to be the main obstacles. Capital shortage is one of the reasons for adopting contract system by banana producers.

It is also reported that producers do not have sufficient time and access to sources of information and good relations and links with the commission agents for trading banana. Producers have good incentives for banana production in general and large growers with orchards of other fruits too, in prices and net returns.

Though Sindh has a 90 per cent area under banana crop, it is quite unfortunate that there is no research institute devoted to solve the problems faced by the grower. Farmers have no access to any information about sound agronomic practices relating to local soil and environmental conditions. Moreover, for the last 20 years, farmers have no varietal choice except Basri due to the lack of the availability of other genetic material.