Efecto del deshoje inducido sobre la productividad del plátano (Musa AAB) cv. Hartón y la incidencia de sigatoka negra (Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet)

in order to evaluate the induced defoliation on the plantain productivity, a study was carried out in colón municipality, zulia state. sixteen first week flowering plants were selected. treatments were carried out as follows: four were let on six leaves (t1), four with eight leaves (t2), four with ten leaves (t3) and four with twelve or more leaves (t4: witness), for a total of four treatments with four plants like replicate by following a statistical model totally at random. the plants were harvested at twelve weeks and black sigatoka was diagnosed on base to stover modified scale. variables measured were: bunch weight (pr), number of leaves at the moment of harvest (nh/p), number of fingers or fruits per bunch (nd/r), perceptual relationship between fruit weight/bunch weight (pd/pr), fruits morphological characteristics (weight (pf), length (ld) and diameter (dd)). fruits were classified with base at these characteristics. agreed with the results obtained, only had significant statistics difference (p<0,05) between t1 and t2 in relation to ld. fruits classification showed that most of produced plantains, have optimal characteristics for national and international market. healthy diagnostic showed in all plants that in leaves 1, 2 and 3, the injury was less than degree 2; in leaves 4 and 5, 25% of plants showed degree 4 and in leaves 6 and 7, 50% showed degree 4. in conclusion, induced defoliation, almost did not affect neither yield nor quality plants treated fruits.