Cold spell takes toll on banana plants

The recent spell of biting cold has affected bananas on vast tracts of fields in Rangpur agriculture region, including Nilphamari, making the growers worried about incurring loss.

“Only sagor variety is affected by the problem, which is not a disease at all but an outcome of cold spell and won't create hindrance to good yield,” said Rafiqul Islam, sub-assistant agriculture officer in the regional office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Rangpur.

However, 70 percent of bananas grown in the region are of sagor variety, he said, adding that farmers prefer the variety as it takes a short time to ripen and is high yielding.

On a visit to a number of banana fields in Sadar and Saidpur upazilas of the district and Taraganj upazila in Rangpur, this correspondent found that green leaves, even stems, turn reddish yellow and then dry up, killing the plants.

“I sprayed fungicide and then hormone a number of times at the suggestion of a pesticide dealer, but got no result. I am very worried as I've already spent a lot of money for cultivation,” said Anwar Hossain, a big banana farmer in Poolhat village of Sadar upazila.

“I planted banana on three bighas of land. The plants grew very well initially, but they turned reddish yellow in the latest cold spell, although I weeded several times and removed the affected leaves in an effort to save the plants, but failed,” said farmer Jagomon Sarker, 65, of Kursha village in Taraganj upaila.

Many farmers said banana cultivation emerged as a boon to them as the profit is three times the production cost, making them interested to cultivate it in larger areas of land this year.

“After the end of winter, the plants which somehow survive will not attain normal growth and will give less yield, causing sure loss to us,” they added.

Rafiqul of DAE in Rangpur, said banana was cultivated on 2,619 hectares of land in five northern districts this year, 400 hectares higher than last year.

Of the area, 985 hectares were cultivated in Rangpur, 480 hectares in Gaibandha, 832 hectares in Kurigram, 104 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 218 hectares in Nilphamari.

Horticulture specialist of regional DAE Mesbahur Rahman said, “Banana plants sustaining cold damage cannot be cured with fungicide or pesticide, and we advise farmers to wash the affected plants with clean water.”

Farmers should use chemical and organic fertiliser in the right proportion during plantation, so that natural resistance is created within the plants to combat adverse environment and diseases, said Keramat Ali, additional deputy director of district DAE.