Number of Nematicide Cycles per Year on Banana (Musa AAA cv VALERY) Root Nematode Control and Crop Yield

The effect of the number of nematicide cycles per year on banana (Musa AAA cv. Valery) root weight, root nematode control and crop yield were compared in a commercial banana plantation in Ecuador testing five treatments in a randomized complete block design with six replicates. Treatments consisted of one, two, three or four nematicide cycles per year plus the untreated control. Averaging the 24 root nematode samplings after treatments application, the nematicide applications reduced R. similis (P= 0.0114) between 22 to 49 %, Helicotylenchus spp. (P= 0.0004) between 23 to 40 % and total nematode (P= 0.0002) populations between 25 to 45 %. At harvest, nematicide applications increased ratooning (Pless than 0.0001; Pless than 0.0001) at 12 and 24 months after treatment application, respectively. Even though, nematicide treatments increased yield between 66 and 471 (1.1-8.5 tm) boxes of 18.14 kg ha-1 year-1 at 12 months after treatments application, the difference was not large enough to reach significant difference (P= 0.2812). At 24 months after treatment application, in plants treated with nematicides, the yield increased (P= 0.0061) between 226 to 730 (4.0-13.2 tm) boxes of 18.14 kg ha-1 year-1, which resulted in a net profit (deducted the treatment cost and the packing cost of the additional boxes) of US $1, 050 to $3, 432 ha-1 year-1. The highest yield and net profit were obtained with the rotation of three nematicide cycles per year.