Field investigations were carried out at Northern Block farm, Agricultural Research Station (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), Bhavanisagar, Erode district of Tamil Nadu during 2010-11 and 2011-12 to study the effect of integrated nutrient management practices on growth, yield and nutrient uptake of banana under irrigated conditions. The banana cv. Grand Naine (AAA) was used as a test crop in both the years of study. The experiments consisted of thirteen treatments viz., Control (100% Recommended dose of fertilizer), four treatments consisted of 100 and 75% RDF in combination with Wellgro soil @ 20 and 40%, two treatments consisted of 2% liquid organic manure spray on bunches with 100 and 75% RDF, four treatments consisted of 100 and 75% RDF combined with Wellgro grains @ 20 and 40% and the last two treatments comprised of FYM @ 10kg plant-1 with 100 and 75% RDF combinations. The study revealed that the growth and yield parameters and nutrient uptake were conspicuously higher in integrated nutrient management practices as compared to control (chemical fertilizers alone). During 2010-11 and 2011-12, application of 100% recommended dose of fertilizer along with 40% Wellgro soil recorded the highest pseudostem girth (70.1 and 69.9 cm), number of leaves (17.4 and 16.4), and lower phyllochron (6.6 and 7.3 days) at shooting stage and registered shorter crop duration (325.6 and 330.2 days) followed by maximum number of hands (10.2 and 10.3), number of fingers (136.3 and 145.2), bunch weight (23.9 and 25.3 kg/plant) and total yield (72.8 and 77.1 t/ha) respectively. Similarly, nutrient uptake was also influenced by integrated nutrient management practices during both years of study in banana. Hence, integrated nutrient management (100% recommended dose of fertilizer combined with 40% Wellgro soil) practices has been found to be an ideal option to improve yield and nutrient uptake of banana under soil and climatic conditions of Western zone of Tamil Nadu
