Page 109 - Ecuador's Banana Sector under Climate Change

chapter 4: assessment of climate change impact on banana production and suitability in ecuador, and general assessment of global banana trends under climate change scenarios
routine variability is the cool, cloudy period in July and August, which may be less marked in some seasons than in others.
The normal weather pattern can be completely upset in the years representing El Niño or La Niña. The frequency of such years was also seen in Section
2.3. El Niño brings heavy to very heavy rains in the rainy season, which can
also carry over to the dry season with major consequences for banana leaf diseases. Increased temperatures in the period of cold and low light increase leaf emission rates and production, and they reduce the need for irrigation. Low-lying production areas are subject to highly destructive floods and landslides. Several groups also identified years of increased cold and more extended cloudiness as
a case of extreme events. Although such conditions are common every year to some extent, in some years, such as 2013, the cold temperatures and cloudiness persisted over a longer period with negative consequences for production. In zones on the southern extreme of the transect, droughts during the normal rainy season were also identified (Table 22).
Banana growers in each group described the changes in management which they employ to maintain production and quality and reduce the adverse effects of problematic weather. Obviously irrigation and drainage are key practices, although not among the small plantain growers of El Carmen. The management of BS, including fungicide applications and cultural practices are applied, depending
on normal and exceptional rainfall. Depending on the zone, growers adjust their use of fertilizers. In El Carmen fertilization is only done in the rainy season, while among export growers they reduce fertilizer applications in the rainy season
to reduce losses. Just prior to the cool, cloudy period, banana growers adjust practices to stimulate and maintain growth during the unfavourable conditions - soluble fertilizers in irrigation water, foliar nutrient applications and the application of micro-organisms to the soil. Bunch management is also adjusted by season. More hands are removed just after bunch emergence during periods of less favourable growth (cold, limited light, dry season). The type of bag used for the bunch also varies by season - with fewer perforations in the bag during the cooler weather. No practices were mentioned to reduce the effects of wind (Table 23).
3.2 Implications of results from focus groups for climate change
Growers recognize that weather variability as a key factor in the productivity and profitabilty of their banana farms. They adjust their management practices in two ways:
• The annual schedule of practices varies as a function of conditions which are present seasonally every year - dehanding, type of bag used for bunches, use of fertilizer.
• Changes in practices, which correspond to the changing weather conditions from year to year, are primarily linked to the use of fungicides and cultural practices for BS control and frequency of irrigation.
Research could contribute to management strategies following the proposed categories of response, presented in Section 2.6. These include:
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