Water Deficit Implication on the Growth Attributing Characters of Some Selected Improved Banana Germplasm under in an Inseptisol of North East India

A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during the year 2014-2016 with ten germplasm of banana viz. Gobin Tulchi (AAB), Bogimonohar (ABB), Manohar (AAB), Agnisagar (AAA). Barjahaji (AAA), Kachkal (ABB), Assamese Malbhog (AAB), Chenichampa (AAB), Bharatmoni (AAB) and Jahaji (AAA) to assess the physiological performance of this banana (Musa spp.) germplasm with special reference to moisture stress. The various parameters were recorded at 5th, 7th and 9th months after planting. The soil of the experimental field was acidic, well drained and sandy loam in texture with low available N and K and medium available P content. The statistical design was Randomized block design. All the data pertaining to the present investigation were statistically analysed as per the method of analysis of variance (ANOVA) given by Panse and Sukhatme (1967). The critical difference (CD) values were calculated at 5 per cent probability level. For analysis software SPSS 7.5, Costat 6.3 and MS-excel were used. Moisture stress progressively reduced the values of leaf area, root biomass, specific leaf weight, fruit length, fruit circumference, duration of fruit filling, number of hands per bunch, number of finger per bunch, pulp-peel ratio and bunch weight. The germplasm Barjahaji was found to be higher yielder followed by Bogimonohar and Agnisagar whereas the cultivar Kachkal and Assamese Malbhog were found to be the lowest performer in this regard. From the above, it can be concluded that the cultivars Barjahaji, Bogimonohar and Agnisagar are physiologically more tolerant.