The banana cultivar Gruesa, a local Dwarf Cavendish selection, is increasingly planted in the Canary Islands, both in greenhouse and in the open air. Both methods present some degree of leaf loss throughout the crop cycle: the leaves of greenhouse plants are traditionally cut back after flowering, and open air plantations experience frequent wind damage. A trial was set up four months prior to harvest to evaluate fruit filling rate and yield of Gruesa subjected to five levels of defoliation (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% loss of leaf area). Two defoliation techniques were used to simulate damage: removal of the midrib, and slashing the leaf blade followed later by complete removal. Morphological, phenological and production data are presented.
banana; cultural techniques; wind damage; subtropics; production
