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There can be many reasons why a banana peel will split and with my soil it's low calcium. I use gypsum (calcium + sulfur) to raise my calcium without raising my pH, it's not a quick fix you have to apply it 3 to 6 months before the plant begins to fruit.

Before you add anything have your soil tested to make sure it's low calcium.


Calcium (Ca)

Function: Calcium is another secondary plant nutrients, absorbed by plant roots as Ca 2+. Calcium is a constituent of the middle lamella of cell walls as Ca-pectate. Calcium is required as a cofactor by some enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of ATP and phospholipids. It is an important element for root development and functioning; a constituent of cell walls; and is required for chromosome
flexibility and cell division.

Calcium deficiency is a widespread problem in banana crops and significantly reduces fruit quality.
Moisture stress is the major cause of calcium deficiency as it interrupts the root uptake of calcium
and leads to localized deficiencies in fruit. Boron is required for the maintenance of transpiration
(water uptake) and therefore also calcium uptake. Over-use of nitrogen fertilizers and excessive
plant vigour also compound calcium deficiencies. Calcium and boron are also essential for plant
strength and therefore deficient plants are more likely to suffer from fungal diseases and
environmental stresses. Calcium deficiencies are common in both acid and alkaline soils even when
exchangeable soil calcium levels are high. This is largely due to the low mobility of soil calcium and
competition with other nutrients such as ammonium nitrogen, potassium and magnesium.


Calcium deficiency caused by:

 Low transpiration – e.g. at high humidity
 Fruit has a low transpiration rate: a) Reduced Ca uptake in maturating fruits may result in Ca deficiency b) Maturity spots of banana (e.g. aggravated by plastic bags on bunch)
 Rapid leaf growth may cause a Ca shortage
 Cold winters in subtropics
 Imbalances with K and Mg a) high rates of K, Mg or NH 4 + will reduce Ca availability b) optimum Ca uptake at soil CaK+Ca+Mg) ratio of 0.7
Source: Lahav & Turner (1989 - IPI - Bulletin No 7), C.B.I Banadex (1998 – AIM database)


Deficiency Symptoms Typical symptoms indicating calcium deficiency in banana are: general dwarfing, reduced leaf length, reduced rate of leaf emission; leaves are undulated; tissue near midrib thickens, may turn reddish - brown. In sub - tropical growing areas, calcium deficiency , generally, appears in early summer after spring flush. It reveals as typical chlorosis and necrosis and “Spike - Leaf’ in severe cases.


Leaf:

 The symptoms are found on the youngest leaves causes the spike leaf in which the lamina in new leaves is deformed
 Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) disease is worse
 Interveinal chlorosis near leaf margins
 Creates ‘spike leaf’ appearance where lamina of new leaves is deformed or absent
 Symptoms appear in after a flush of growth
 OR where high levels of potassium are applied


Plant:

 It causes heart rot to newly planted tissue culture plantlets.


Fruit:

 Peel splits when fruit ripe
 Fruit curls – scratching others in bunch
 Fruit weight and diameter is reduced
 The fruit quality is inferior and the peel splits during the ripening.

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