Banana cultivation in Karnataka

Banana is one of the most important major fruit crops grown in India. In respect of area it ranks second and first in production only after mango in this country. India leads the world in banana production with an annual output of about 16.820 mt. The banana culture in India is as old as Indian civilization. It seems that it is one of the earliest fruit crops grown by mankind at the dawn of civilization. In India, bananas are so predominant and popular among people that poor and rich alike like the fruit. Considering the nutritive value and fruit value of bananas, it is the cheapest among all other fruits in the country. Considering the year round availability of fruits, unlike the seasonal availability of other tree fruits, it has become an inevitable necessity in any household in India, for all functions. The bananas were grown in Southern Asia even before the prehistoric periods and the world’s largest diversity in banana population is found in this area. Hence, it is generally agreed that all the edible bananas and plantains are indigenous to the warm, moist regions of tropical Asia comprising the regions of India, Burma, Thailand and Indo China. The edible banana is believed to have originated in the hot, tropical regions of South-East Asia. India is believed to be one of the centres of origin of banana. Its cultivation is distributed throughout the warmer countries and is confined to regions between 300N and 300S of the equator. Banana is also grown, in many other