Top quality banana production and record yields with precision irrigation

If you are growing in a rainy area, drip irrigation will allow you to deliver water during dry spells. This alone will bring stability to your banana plantation and increase your yields. On top of that you can enjoy the benefits of an efficient fertigation system all year round. You can spoon feed your bananas in a way that prevents leaching and delivers every drop of fertiliser directly to the root zone, and all with minimum labour involved.

While your average yields are affected by climate, variety, the age of the plantation and many other factors, typical yields reach up to 70 tons per hectare with precision irrigation and fertigation.

Compared to flood irrigation, drip irrigation can save you more than 50% of the water. Compared to sprinkler systems, a widely-used alternative for banana production, you can save 20% of the water.

Drip irrigation can be very easily combined with remote control and automation to make your irrigation even more efficient. It is possible to add other digital tools, such as soil or weather sensors, to optimise your yields and resources. Learn more about our digital farming solutions.

Although cost is an important factor, faster return on investment is what really matters. It’s been proven that drip irrigation increases banana yields and quality unlike any other irrigation method. In addition, drip technology leads to significant savings in water, fertiliser and labour. Economic calculations show that in the long run, drip is the most sustainable system for banana plantations, delivering higher economic returns than any other method.

Sprinklers - particularly micro sprinklers - can be excellent precision irrigation emitters in banana plantations. Many farmers prefer sprinkler systems due to their ability to handle poor quality water. In addition, visual inspection of the system can be easier as you can clearly see the water jets, unlike when irrigating with a drip system. Another benefit of micro sprinklers accelerates composition of leaves and organic materials on the soil surface.

A big benefit is that drip irrigation systems are fully safeguarded from breakages caused by falling leaves or vandalism. In addition, drip irrigation allows growers to work in the plantation without getting wet, even when the water is on. Drip also allows application of plant-protection and fertilisers through the system reducing operation complexity and saving costs.

Yes! Not only can you use them, you can have full control over how much fertiliser you use. Through different trials and best practices from around the world, we have learned that throughout the growing period, fertilising in small doses keeps the nutritional elements continuously available near the plant root zone. This is more effective than fertilising in large doses during the plant growth period.

By irrigating and fertigating through the irrigation system, you can be sure that your bananas will have exactly what they need to reach their optimal size and quality.