Working group participants: Rony Swennen, Beloved Mensah Dzomeku, Gerard Ngoh, Rodomiro Ortiz, Paul Baiyeri, Guy Blomme, Danny Coyne
The group first estimated a biological yield potential for monoculture under best growing conditions of 14 to 20 t/ha/year. They then analyzed two cases:
1. Location: Nigeria, Degraded forest - Cultivar name: False Horn - Production system: Plantain-based systems with short fallow with not more than two (2) crop cycles
2. Location: Cameroun: Household and backyards - Cultivar name: French - Production system: Backyards with household refuse as inputs
in terms of factors explaining yield variability in farmer fields. Then, they identified factors linked to market and post-harvest, gender and household resource endowment and trends and changes in markets, climate and disease presence in the same cases. Based on the discussion, they identified the following 8 intervention options which could contribute improved yield and income with applicability across major smallholder production zones. Most important to least important:
1. High true put production of healthy quality planting material (to allow for other interventions)
2. Agronomy: Dissemination of improved crop and resources management practices in plantain-based systems
3. Breeding: Whole plant resistance –black sigatoka, lesion and burrowing nematodes, bunchy top disease and Xanthomonas wilt
4. Decide and act on BSV affecting multiplication and exchange of germplasm
5. Improving the morpho-physiology of plantain (poor root system, apical dominance in mats leading to yield decline and poor suckering
6. Postharvest: Improving hybrid with desire characteristics for local market
7. Improving cultivars with short crop stature and crop cycle
8. Integrated soil fertility management for plantain-based farming systems
Please post your comments by clicking on the button below.
Click here to return to the E-Forum overview page