Abstract
The changes in 1, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu in the pseudostem of banana were followed for ten weeks after bunch harvest. The pseudostems lost dry weight at the rate of 90 g per week and fresh weight at the rate of 63 g per week. Proportionately, 39 per cent of the dry weight initially present, but only two per cent of the fresh weight was lost in the ten week period. The absolute amounts of elements lost, and the e expressed as a percentage (given in parentheses) of the amount initially present, were: 46 g K (30), 8 g (39), 4·5 g a (24) 0·7 g P (57), 0·55 g Mn (27) and 7·1 mg Cu (44). If the lost nutrients were translocated to the growing sucker, as is likely, they would contribute more than 40 per cent of its requirements for all elements except Mg and Zn.
