The objective of this research was to study the effect of different planting densities and spacing systems on the yield of the 'Nanicão' banana, evaluating the first four cycles. Four density (3,333; 2,222; 1,666 and 1,333plants ha-1) and two spacing systems (rectangle and triangle) were tested for the conditions of Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The increase of the density of 1,333 to 3,333 plants ha-1 decreased bunch weight in 15% to 20%, due to reduction in number of fruit by bunch and fruit size. The yield was always higher as the density increased; however, there was not the same behavior for the productivity. Until the third cycle, the highest plant density overcame the productivity of the others. In the fourth cycle there was no difference in productivity among the densities, due to the increase in the duration of crop cycle in the highest density. The spacing system in triangle promoted higher bunch weight in the first cycle and productivity slightly higher along the cycles if compared with rectangle system.
Musa; spacing; production; fruits; dimension; weight
