Evaluation of Plantain Suckers Treatment Methods for Improved Establishment in Delta State

This study evaluates the effect of different sucker treatment methods on establishment success, growth, and early yield of plantain in Delta State, South South Nigeria. Plantain is a food security and commercial crop of great importance in Delta State, and the quality of planting material significantly determines plantation establishment success, time to first harvest, and bunch yield. Traditionally, unsterilised sword suckers are directly transplanted, risking the introduction of nematodes, weevils, and Fusarium wilt pathogens. This study compares five sucker treatment methods: untreated control, hot water treatment at 52 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, paring and dipping in nematicide-fungicide solution, surface sterilisation using bleach solution, and macropropagation with growth regulator induction using BBTV-negative suckers from Delta State University Abraka nursery. Establishment rate, days to shooting, plant height at three months, pseudostem circumference, and days to first harvest are assessed for PITA-14 plantain variety. Findings reveal that hot water treated suckers achieve 97 percent establishment rate compared to 68 percent for the untreated control, and produce the earliest first harvest at 9.2 months. Pared and chemically treated suckers show the second highest establishment rate. Macropropagated suckers show the longest establishment period but produce the most uniform plantation. The study concludes that hot water treatment of suckers significantly improves plantain establishment in Delta State, and recommends this practice for integration into the Delta State Ministry of Agriculture's plantain production extension programme.

Keywords: plantain suckers, hot water treatment, establishment, Delta State, planting material.