Humidity, temperature and conductivity sensors reach a new intensive crop, the Canarian bananas. We are going to dedicate this article to the benefits of controlled irrigation and how the quality and quantity of the product can be improved.
The intensive cultivation of bananas in the Canary Islands
The basic elements to take into account in the intensive cultivation of bananas in the Canary Islands are: the land, the fertilizers, the irrigation, the reproducers, the climate, the cleanliness of the plantation and the dedication.
We are going to start by analyzing irrigation, because it is Plantae's specialty, although we will also comment on other factors of the banana tree.
The irrigation of the bananas of the Canary Islands
The banana tree needs a lot of water. Water is a scarce commodity in the Canary Islands and high evaporation due to the type of climate, that makes controlled irrigation essential, because every drop of water is important and the quality of this highly regarded product deserves it.
The banana tree needs abundant watering in spring and summer, but also in autumn and winter.
If, in addition, the soil is clayey, evaporation increases and with it the risk of producing a high salinity index.
The factors that influence the need for irrigation are:
- Evaporation.
- The plant's need for water.
- The type of terrain.
All these factors influence the need for sensor control that in real time indicates to the farmer the need for the plant and the depth of humidity, an important factor for the good rooting of the banana tree. For this reason and as can be seen in the image, two sensors are placed at different depths.
The ideal amount of water ensures that the plant receives the appropriate nutrients, also the oxygen and hydrogen it needs.
An excess of water produces an effect of washing and elimination of nutrients.
Humidity alterations will generate hydric stress to the banana tree at the same time that the amount of nutrients it receives is altered.
In winter it is also convenient to control because an excess of water harms it because the sap is not very active in addition to harming the roots that can deteriorate.
Characteristics of the banana tree
The banana tree is not a tree because it does not have a throne, it is a giant grass. It needs a lot of water, sun and high temperature.
The soil should be a mixture of sand, clay and silt.
The mother plant produces its first daughter after a year and that daughter produces a pineapple of bananas. That plant does not produce more but has generated other daughters. From this moment on, the children are tied and chosen to be allowed to grow in the following years to produce new banana pineapples. Sometimes the pineapple is also bagged with bananas to protect it.
Like many other crops, the development is pentagonal in shape. The mother plant is cut when the fruit is collected and allowed to grow so that a new plant is produced with a new pineapple. The growth of the daughters must be controlled and prevent them from growing by covering up the light, maintaining an arrangement with a certain angle that should conveniently be golden, that is, 137.5 degrees. Many daughters are cut to leave the one that is going to produce and can develop with enough nutrients.
The climate of the Canary Islands is ideal to achieve the flavor and properties of this delicious fruit. The hours of heat and sunshine are what make the Canarian bananas unique.
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