The Agricultural Extension, Research and Training Unit (Ueica), applies in Holguin province experimental methods in banana harvesting, as part of the initiatives to increase the yield of this crop.
Eugenio Hernández, a specialist of the entity, told ACN that the technique consists of cutting several hands to the bunch, which increases up to 30 percent the productivity, set at 40 tons per 10 thousand square meters.
He specified that planting is done using the extra dense method, with more than 3,000 plants per hectare and allows saving water used for irrigation, in addition to a better use of the soil used for this purpose.
This practice also contributes to reduce harvesting time and the negative effect of winds associated with hurricanes of great intensity, whose damages are reduced in the banana plantations due to the short distance between the positions.
He pointed out that the use of natural fertilizers and agro-ecological practices are also included, in order to substitute imports and counteract the limitations caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba.
At the same time, experiments are being carried out with new varieties to create postures resistant to climate change and guarantee the resilience of this crop to intense drought, high temperatures and saline intrusion.
The Ueica, founded in 1997 and located in the area of Velasco, municipality of Gibara, develops several lines of research, including plant genetic resources, production, conservation and management of seeds, integrated phytotechnology and biotic and abiotic factors that influence agriculture in eastern Cuba.
With information by Eileen Esther Molina Fernández – ACN / Translated by Radio Angulo
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