The objective of this work was to verify the influence of the density and spacing systems on the duration of the cycle and period of harvest of the ‘Nanicão’ banana, planted in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Four densities (1333; 1666; 2222 and 3333 plants/ha) and two spacing systems (rectangle and diamond) were evaluated for the first four crops. The spacing system had little effect on duration of cycle and period of harvest, while after the second cycle, the harvest period increased with plant density. At the density of 3333 plants/ha, the four cycles lasted 55.1 months, while for other densities this period was reduced to 50.1 months (2222 plants/ha), 47.7 months (1666 plants/ha) and 45.9 months (1333 plants/ha). The harvest of the first cycle lasted for four months for all densities. In the second cycle, the harvest of the highest densities (2222 and 3333 plants/ha) was accomplished in eight months, decreasing to seven months, with 1666 plants/ha, and to six months with 1333 plants/ha. In the third cycle, the duration of the harvest in the largest density increased to 11 months, while in the other densities the harvest was processed in 10, 9 and 8 months (2222; 1666 and 1333 plants/ha, respectively). In the fourth cycle the harvest lasted 14; 12; 12 and 8 months, for densities of 3333; 2222; 1666 and 1333 plants/ha, respectively.
harvest distribution; crop cycle; plant arrangement
