Banana and garlic can grow side by side — study

Banana and garlic are no strange bedfellows.

They can grow side by side – and profitably, too, as found in a research titled "Production Management of Garlic Under Banana-based Farming System".

The research was done by Visitacion Aguilar (project leader), Adoracion Taguba, and Sylvia Salang-oy of the Kalinga-Apayao State College at the experimental farm of KASC at Bulanao, Tabuk, Kalinga.

KASC, currently headed by Dr. Venus Lammauwin, is one of the noted institutions of higher learning in agriculture in the Cordillera.

The study aimed, among other things, to test the performance of intercropping garlic with banana; to establish a planting calendar (including the best dates of planting) for garlic in Tabuk; and to respond to the increasing demand for garlic in Kalinga province.

Results showed that October planting produced the highest mean yield of 4.36 tons per hectare, followed by garlic planted in September with 3.47 t/ha. The least was produced by garlic planted in November.

October planting also produced the tallest plants and the biggest and heaviest bulbs.

"The significantly greater yield of garlic at closer spacing is mainly due to the greater number of plants per unit area which offset the biggest bulbs produced in wider spacing," the KASC researchers explained.

At a distance of 10 centimeters by 10 cm, the population is estimated at 1,000,000 plants per hectare; 15 cm x 15 cm. 444,444 plants/ha; 20 cm x 20 cm, 250,000 plants/ha; 25 cm x 25 cm, 160,000 plants/ha; and 30 cm x 30 cm, 111,000 plants/ha.

The economic analysis done indicated that October planting in 10 cm x 10 cm distance of planting realized the highest net income.

Aguilar, Taguba, and Salang-oy concluded that intercropping garlic with banana is beneficial because banana’s roots do not deter the growth of the spice crop. Moreover, banana’s leaf arrangement and shape allow sufficient light to pass through, a support necessary for the crop under it.

Finally, both garlic and banana have more or less the same climatic and soil requirements. – Rudy A. Fernandez