NUTREENT Biological Soil Inoculant Enhances Banana Yield and Quality

This case study presents research findings from field trials conducted in Colombia's Magdalena region testing the efficacy of NUTREENT, a biological soil inoculant, on commercial banana plantations. The comprehensive study, conducted by Clavijo Benitez Limitada under authorization from the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), demonstrated that NUTREENT significantly improves bunch weight and fruit caliber across different banana varieties. The most effective application rate was determined to be 400 g/ha, with yield improvements up to 18.4% observed compared to conventional practices. The product showed no phytotoxicity effects even at double the recommended dose, confirming its safety profile for commercial use in banana cultivation.

Background

Industry Challenges

The banana industry faces significant challenges worldwide, particularly regarding soil fertility and disease management. According to the research conducted in Colombia, banana production has experienced concerning declines over the past two decades due to:

• Diminishing soil fertility
• Yield reduction phenomena
• Pest problems (weevils, nematodes)
• The spread of Black Sigatoka leaf disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis)

These challenges directly impact the livelihoods of farmers and the global banana supply chain. As one of the most important starchy crops in developing countries, bananas provide over 200 calories daily to approximately 60 million people and hold tremendous socioeconomic and nutritional significance throughout tropical America and the Caribbean.

Nutritional Challenges in Banana Cultivation

The research highlights that phosphorus (P) management presents particular difficulties in banana cultivation. Phosphorus is absorbed primarily as H₂PO₄⁻ ions, with the most rapid absorption occurring during the first five months of plant life (vegetative stage). Phosphorus is required in high concentrations in active growth regions and is particularly important during periods of active growth.

Phosphorus deficiency reduces growth of the mother plant and suckers while decreasing the leaf emission rate and leaf length. However, phosphorus is typically present in very low concentrations in soil solution, has low mobility, and readily forms insoluble compounds with aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and calcium (Ca), or becomes trapped by soil clays.

Solution: NUTREENT Biological Soil Inoculant

Product Composition

NUTREENT is a specialized biological soil inoculant developed by MILLMAN SYSTEMS, LLC and distributed by CLABEREP LTDA. The product is formulated as a wettable powder (WP) containing a consortium of beneficial microorganisms:

MicroorganismConcentrationPediococcus acidilactici1 billion CFU/gBacillus subtilis2 billion CFU/gBacillus licheniformis1 billion CFU/gLactobacillus acidophilus1 billion CFU/gLactobacillus casei1 billion CFU/gLactobacillus plantarum1 billion CFU/g

Mechanism of Action

NUTREENT works through multiple mechanisms to improve soil health and plant nutrition:

1. Nutrient solubilization: The microorganisms acidify the periplasmic space through the production of organic acids (acetic, lactic, malic, succinic, tartaric, oxalic, and citric acids), with gluconic and acetogluconic acids being particularly effective as chelating agents for calcium ions. This process helps dissolve calcium phosphates that would otherwise remain unavailable to plants.
2. Root development: Studies have shown that these beneficial microorganisms enhance root area, dry weight, and stem diameter.
3. Disease suppression: NUTREENT's microbial components can suppress diseases like Fusarium wilt in banana plants through the production of antifungal compounds such as Bacilysin and Iturin.
4. Induced resistance: The microorganisms induce systemic resistance in plants when established in roots and leaves, promoting the production of phytoalexins.

Research Methodology

Field Trial Design

The research employed a rigorous scientific approach to evaluate NUTREENT's efficacy:

• Locations: Two distinct banana-growing regions in Colombia's Magdalena Department
  • Finca Adelaida in Cienaga (Valery variety)
  • Finca San Pedro in Sevilla (Williams variety)
• Experimental Design: Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
  • 4 repetitions/blocks
  • 5 treatments
  • 20 total plots
• Plot Size: Each experimental plot contained 40 plants covering approximately 200 m² (at a density of 2,000 plants/ha)

Treatments

Five treatments were evaluated:

TreatmentProductApplication RateT0Control (Farm standard practices)--T1NUTREENT300 g/haT2NUTREENT350 g/haT3NUTREENT400 g/haT4ECOTERRA WG (Commercial reference)400 g/ha

Application Method

The inoculant was applied four times during the early vegetative growth stages of the banana plants:

• First application: November 12-13, 2019
• Second application: November 26-27, 2019
• Third application: December 10-11, 2019
• Fourth application: December 24-25, 2019

Applications were made using directed soil drench technique with a 20-liter backpack sprayer without nozzle at approximately 30 psi pressure, targeting the root zone.

Data Collection

Evaluations were conducted at harvest time (June 15-16, 2020), measuring:

• Bunch weight (kg)
• Number of hands per bunch
• Fruit caliber/diameter (cm)

Data was collected for bunches with 6, 7, and 8 hands to account for natural variation in bunch sizes.

Statistical Analysis

Data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's test at 5% significance level to identify statistical differences between treatments. The INFOSTAT 2018 statistical software was used for data processing.

Results and Findings

Bunch Weight Improvements

Finca Adelaida (Valery variety):

• 6-hand bunches: Treatment T2 (NUTREENT at 350 g/ha) showed the best results with 19.51 kg average weight, representing a 7.7% increase over the control (18.11 kg).
• 7-hand bunches: Treatment T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) produced the highest weights with 22.39 kg average, an 18.4% improvement over the control (18.91 kg).
• 8-hand bunches: All NUTREENT treatments significantly outperformed the control, with weights ranging from 24.08 kg (T1) to 24.63 kg (T4) compared to the control at 22.20 kg, representing improvements of 8.5-10.8%.

Finca San Pedro (Williams variety):

• 6-hand bunches: Treatment T4 (ECOTERRA WG) performed slightly better than NUTREENT treatments, but all treatments significantly outperformed the control. The T3 treatment (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) reached 22.60 kg, a 12.5% increase over the control (20.09 kg).
• 7-hand bunches: Treatment T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) again showed the best results with 22.33 kg average weight, representing a 13.2% improvement over the control (19.73 kg).
• 8-hand bunches: Treatment T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) achieved the highest weight at 23.26 kg, a 12.6% increase over the control (20.66 kg).

Fruit Caliber Improvements

Finca Adelaida (Valery variety):

• 6-hand bunches: Treatments T2, T3, and T4 significantly improved fruit caliber compared to the control. The T2 and T4 treatments both reached 13.50 cm, representing a 7.3% increase over the control (12.58 cm).
• 7-hand bunches: All NUTREENT treatments significantly improved fruit caliber, with T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) showing the best result at 13.67 cm, a 7.9% increase over the control (12.67 cm).
• 8-hand bunches: All treatments significantly improved fruit caliber, with values ranging from 13.67 cm (T1) to 14.00 cm (T4), representing improvements of 4.5-7.0% over the control (13.08 cm).

Finca San Pedro (Williams variety):

• 6-hand bunches: All treatments significantly improved fruit caliber compared to the control, with T4 (ECOTERRA WG) reaching 13.42 cm, a 9.6% increase over the control (12.25 cm).
• 7-hand bunches: Treatment T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) showed the best results with 13.67 cm, an 8.1% improvement over the control (12.17 cm).
• 8-hand bunches: All treatments significantly improved fruit caliber, with T3 (NUTREENT at 400 g/ha) reaching 13.83 cm, a 9.9% increase over the control (12.58 cm).

Safety Profile

The research evaluated phytotoxicity using the EWRS scale (1-9, where 1 represents absence of phytotoxicity and 9 represents death of the crop). NUTREENT showed no phytotoxic effects (score of 1) at any of the tested rates, including at double the highest recommended dose (800 g/ha), confirming its safety for banana cultivation.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Based on the comprehensive field trials conducted in Colombia's banana-growing regions, this case study concludes:

1. NUTREENT biological soil inoculant significantly improves bunch weight and fruit caliber in commercial banana production across different varieties.
2. The optimal application rate of NUTREENT for banana cultivation is 400 g/ha, which consistently produced the best results across most parameters measured.
3. NUTREENT functions effectively as a complement to standard fertilization practices in banana cultivation, enhancing nutrient availability, particularly phosphorus.
4. The product demonstrates no phytotoxic effects even at double the recommended dose, confirming its safety profile for commercial use.
5. The consistent positive results across two different varieties (Valery and Williams) and growing locations suggest that NUTREENT's benefits are likely to be broadly applicable across banana cultivation systems.

These findings support the recommendation of NUTREENT at a dose of 400 g/ha, applied four times during the early vegetative growth stages, as an effective and safe biological soil inoculant for enhancing yield and quality parameters in commercial banana production.

Note: This case study is based on research conducted by Clavijo Benitez Limitada under authorization from the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) between November 2019 and June 2020. The complete research report (CBL-655-NUTREENT-CLABEREP LTDA-2020) is available as an attachment.

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