With temperatures just above 0°C and the first light snowfall over the weekend, Wageningen in the east of the Netherlands is not the place where you expect bananas to grow. However, researchers of the Wageningen University and Research managed to do their first banana harvest last week.
The banana cultivation was part of an experiment carried out by the University since January. The banana plants were grown inside greenhouses on substrates of coco peat and stone wool, with only the application of a nutrient solution. The experiment appears to be very successful, says Professor of Tropical Plant Pathology Gert Kema. “The advantage of substrate cultivation is that nutrients can be better tailored to the needs of the plant. In addition, you prevent losses, possibly about 30%, from leakage. The Dutch banana does not need disease control, which makes cultivation more sustainable than in traditional production areas.”
Read the full article of Wageningen University here.