New Banana and Plantain Varieties for Africa

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has concluded the five year project to develop new banana and plantain varieties with increased yield and resistance to fungal pathogens and nematodes for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists from the IITA also developed new methods for deploying the new cultivars in a way that preserves traditional varieties. The US $4 million project was funded by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the Belgian government.

Banana and plantain production has suffered significant decline in sub-Saharan Africa, in part because of the Black Sigatoka, a fungal pathogen. The scientists are confident that the new varieties will contribute much on the poverty reduction and income generation efforts in the region. The new cultivars have also been shown to produce superior fruits with high-post-harvest value. IITA now stressed the need for further human resource development and support of national institutions to ensure the availability of plant stock and adoption by banana and plantain farmers.

Read the press release at http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_details.aspx?articleid=1392&zoneid=81