Cytokinins in the growth of Musa AAB banana cultivars in the first production cycle

Abstract

An investigation was carried out in El Carmen, Manabí, Ecuador, between the geographical coordinates 0°13’57.0’’ S and 79°30’50.00’’ W, with the objective of evaluating the influence of cytokinins on two cultivars in a new plantation, during their first production cycle; A split-plot design was used where in the main plots were located the banana varieties ‘Barraganete’ and ‘Dominico Hartón’ and in the sub-plots the doses of cytokinins (0.20, 0.16, 0.12 and a control with 0.00 cm³), the data were taken in the emission of acorns and harvest, agronomic and productive parameters of the plants were evaluated. Statistical differences (P<0.05) were found between the doses of cytokinin for leaf area, where the dose of 0.12 cm³ presented the highest value with 1.52 cm²; the interaction of the factors determined statistical differences (P<0.05) between the biomass of the pseudostem and the number of leaves, the ‘Barraganete’ plantain crop with 0.12 cm³ reached 87.11 kg of biomass in the pseudostem, while the ‘Dominico Hartón’ plantain reduced the production of leaves with the decrease of the doses of cytokinin, and in the ‘Barraganete’ the quantity of leaves increased with the low doses; In terms of yield, only the biomass of exportable fingers showed significant differences (P<0.05) with respect to the interaction of the factors and the doses of cytokinin, with the ‘Dominico Hartón’ crop with 0.16 and 0.12 cm³ being the treatments with the highest biomass in this variable.