If you are planning to cultivate bananas, or any other crop for that matter, the first thing you must do is test the soil. Here’s why soil testing is important.

Every crop has its own basic pH requirement. Soil testing helps in determining the pH level of the soil. In the case of banana, it requires 6.5-7.5 pH.Soil testing detects the nutrients present in the soil. This will help you provide additional nutrition through fertilisers as required.Giving the right amount of fertilisers will ensure better yield and quality.

Which nutrients does banana require?Banana requires Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Boron.

Here’s some more information that will help you get a better yield:

Climate: The ideal climate should be warm and humid. On an average, banana requires a rainfall of 1,700 mm throughout the year.Soil: Well-drained loamy soils are suitable for banana cultivation. Alkaline and saline soils should be avoided.Spacing: To get the maximum yield, a spacing of 1.2 × 1.5 m is recommended.Irrigation: Banana requires a lot of water. Drip irrigation is found to be useful as it helps in uniform water supply and reduces water wastage.