By Henrylito D. Tacio
There are many kinds of bananas but they all have one thing in common: they are rich in potassium and other nutrients.
“The heavenly fruit that tasted like nectar sweetened in honey” was how Alexander the Great described banana in the old days. These days, more and more people are eating banana because of the health benefits the fruit provides.
Health experts say banana is low in protein, free of fats, but high in energy. A fully ripe banana has 20-25 percent sugar. It has a significant amount of B-vitamins, especially B1 and B6. B1 is a brain tonic whereas B6 relieves, in particular, uncomfortable symptoms of the pre-menstrual tension syndrome like irritability, headaches, tender breasts, and water retention.
According to a recent survey undertaken in the United States among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
“One medium-sized banana boasts of 100-125 kilo calories, 4-5 grams fiber, about 400 milligrams potassium, 17 milligrams calcium, 36 milligrams phosphorus and traces of other minerals like iron,” said Professor Kanwar, an eminent biophysicist who writes for the Health Tribune.
Some research conducted recently at the University of Minnesota, School of Medicine, substantiate earlier reports that high potassium diets (banana being one of these) lower blood cholesterol levels. Subjects getting extra dietary potassium are also less prone to hypertension, strokes and atherosclerosis and finally show significantly low mortality rates.
A major study reveals that diets loaded with potassium-rich bananas may be able to cut the risk of strokes by one third. Scientists feel that many people can be protected against strokes and heart attacks by minimizing sodium (common salt) intake and by consuming plenty of potassium-rich foods of which banana is one. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
If you are having trouble with stress, potassium-rich banana can help you. Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. When you are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Among the various varieties and species of bananas, the Cardaba stands out. The reason: it has the highest nutritional contents. It is because the said variety has the deepest roots among all varieties; as such it can absorb more nutrients from the soil. It’s no wonder why the trunks are long and the fruits big.
A hybrid, Cardaba (Musa acuminata × balbisiana) is one of the most important banana cultivars in country — aside from Cavendish, which is grown mostly for export. As the fruit provides the same nutritional value as potato, Cardaba is almost always present in the Philippine cuisine. It can be eaten raw or cooked into various traditional desserts and dishes like maruya, pinaypay, turon and ginanggang. It is also used as an important ingredient in delicious halo-halo.
Like most types of banana, Cardaba grows best in well-drained fertile soils with full sun exposure. It inherits most of the characteristics of Musa balbisiana, making it tolerant of dry soil and colder conditions of temperate climates. It requires minimum rainfall and can survive long dry seasons as long as adequate irrigation is provided. However, the fruits may not ripen under such conditions. It also has good resistance against Sigatoka leaf spot diseases.
The fruits of Cardaba are ready for harvesting 150 to 180 days after flowering, which takes longer than other banana varieties. Each plant has a potential yield of 26 to 38 kilograms per bunch. There are typically 16 hands per bunch, with each hand having 12 to 20 fingers.
So much have been written about growing Cardaba but the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) has come up with a publication that feature the science and technology interventions of two Magsasaka Siyentista (scientist farmers).
“PCAARRD hopes to impart knowledge and increase people’s awareness about the full potential of field tested and applied science-based technologies in creating business enterprise in the farm,” wrote PCAARRD Executive Director Patricio S. Faylon in his foreword.
Mauricio Zabanal plants Cardaba banana in his farm in Aborlan, Palawan. Among the interventions he observed in his banana plantation are as follows:
Early/Timely removal of the male bud: As soon as the last finger of the bunch appears, the male bud (“puso”) is removed using a sickle attached to the bamboo poles. This is done early in the morning when weather condition is good to avoid the risk of infection. This intervention leads to an increase in the size and weight of the fruit. It also prevents the occurrence of the “Bugtok” disease, which is usually transmitted by insects through the male bud.
Control of population density and desuckering: The distance between the plants is 5 meters by 4 meters per mat while the number of plants per mat is three (the mother plant and two followers). The removal of suckers is done regularly — after the fruiting of the mother plant to maintain the ideal three plants per mat. An improvised bar is used to remove the suckers. Results: ensure adequate size and the number of fingers per bunch and prevent competition for nutrients of existing suckers.
Ring weeding: Weeds around the mats, particularly within one meter from the base, are removed manually using a shovel and bolo. Done before the application of organic fertilizer to ensure that the weeds do not compete with the water and fertilizers intended for the plants.
Deleafing and mat sanitation: Dried leaves and those that cover the fruits from direct sunlight are regularly removed from the plants. A sickle and a sharp bolo maybe used for this. The trunks that are left after the harvesting must be cut off below the ground and then covered with soil to protect them from pests and infection. The cut-off stems are piled in between rows of the mat to serve as mulch and increase the organic matter content of the soil.
Organic fertilizer application: Before the intervention was started, vermicompost fertilizer was applied at the rate of 4 kilograms per mat and at a depth of 4-6 inches. The application of fertilizer was done in a trench around the mat and was covered with soil to prevent erosion, especially when there was rain.
The other person featured in the publication was Bayani Ritual, who hails from Dingalan, Aurora. Below are his interventions:
Nutrient management: Proper proportions of both organic and inorganic fertilizers, plus micro-nutrients, are applied to his banana plants. To ensure that all of these nutrients are absorbed only by the plants, weeds within 0.75 meters away from the plant were removed before fertilizer application. To enhance fertilization and the organic matter content, chopped banana trunks and dried leaves were placed to decompose near the mat.
Desuckering: Young plants or maiden suckers are removed every 6 weeks after fruiting of the mother plant to ensure its adequate plant size and maintain plant population.
Control of plant density per mat: Only 3-4 plants are maintained to ensure maximum yield in terms of the number of fingers per bunch and the size of the fruit.
Before the interventions, Zabanal harvested only 6,295.58 kilograms per hectare. But with the implementation of the science-based techniques, the production went up to 15,325.10 kilograms — or an increase of 9,029.52 kilograms or equivalent to a 143% increase in yield. In terms of volume, the production per hectare increased to 66,573 fingers per hectare per season from the previous 36,475.
In terms of profitability, the interventions employed have increased the net profit from the P20,856.75 to P70,688.75.
The same thing happened to the production of Ritual.
“Significant improvements in farm production were observed by both Zabanal and Ritual when they implemented their respective technology interventions, which translated to an increase in the respective farm’s incomes,” the PCAARRD publication concludes.
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