Biotech Updates

East African Farmers to Gain From Disease Resistant Banana

March 13, 2013

Farmers in the east African region are likely to benefit from the bacterial wilt resistant banana plantlets that have been developed by Ugandan researchers at the Kawanda Research Institute. The newly developed wilt resistant crops will be distributed throughout East Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo free of charge to farmers. The technology involves combining the genes of white pepper and that of bananas. Banana wilt has affected yields in the region thereby reducing the prices of banana in the world market.

 For more details contact Arthur Makara at arthur.makara@scifode-foundation.org. Original story available at http://allafrica.com/stories/201303042315.html.