Improved Varieties of Plantain for Tropical Lowlands

Better Plantain Varieties for Thriving Farmers

The "Improved Varieties of Plantain for Tropical Lowlands" created through controlled crossbreeding are more resilient to diseases and pests and yield better than the local varieties. These improved plantains grow well in different climates. They may not have the same quality properties as local varieties, but they are excellent for certain recipes.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Limited resistance to pests and diseases in all local plantain varieties.
Black leaf streak or black sigatoka reduces yield by 33-50%.
Weevils and nematodes undermine corm and root systems causing snapping and toppling of plants.
Inadequate access to disease-resistant and high-yielding plantain varieties.
Plantain productivity is not stable in shifting cultivation and bush fallow systems.

Solution

By cultivating improved plantain varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests and are high yielding, the technology significantly boosts overall plantain harvests, contributing to food security and economic stability for farmers.
The developed improved varieties are tailored to thrive in diverse climates and production conditions, offering a flexible solution for regions with varying environmental challenges.
By mixing different types of plantains, the technology helps maintain a wide range of plant genetics, which is crucial for long-term agricultural sustainability.
Improved plantain varieties require less chemical inputs for successful cultivation thereby reducing environmental pollution.
Maximum yield and plantation longevity are achieved by using clean planting materials and good agronomic practices.

Key points to design your project

The adoption of improved varieties of plantain presents numerous opportunities to improve food security and income for farming households, particularly in disease-infested areas with variable climatic conditions.

To effectively integrate this technology into your project, consider the following activities and prerequisites:

Identifying appropriate cultivars for specific climatic conditions, stand management, production targets, and market demands.
Make sure that multipliers, farmers and food processors are aware of the benefits of using the plantain varieties such as disease resistance and high yield.
Establish local hubs for training seed multipliers on macro-propagation and distribution of healthy plantlets and for training farmers on good agronomic practices.

You also need collaboration with breeders and agricultural research institutions to select improved plantain varieties tailored to specific growing conditions in target areas.

To estimate the required quantity of planting materials for your project, consider a technology cost ranging from 290 to 1,000 USD per hectare with a minimum 1,400 USD needed for production inputs and labour. Additionally, factor in delivery costs to the project site and any relevant import clearance and duties.

Engage a team of trainers to provide comprehensive training and support during project implementation. When budgeting, include costs for training sessions and post-training assistance. Develop communication materials such as pamphlets, fact sheets, videos, and radio broadcasts to raise awareness and support the adoption of the technology.

To optimize the performance of these improved plantain varieties, always use clean planting materials generated from in vitro tissue culture (micropropagation) or on-farm macropropagation.

290—1000 USD

Planting material/ha

ROI: $$$ 500 %

Benefit to cost advantages starts from the second cycle harvest onwards

1400 USD

Production inputs and labor per ha

IP

Open source / open access

Improved Varieties of Plantain for Tropical Lowlands

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	Tested	Adopted
Cameroon	Tested	Adopted
Comoros	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	Tested	Adopted
Mali	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	Tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	Tested	Adopted
Togo	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–	–	–
Subhumid	–		–
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 1: no poverty

Take home message:

Breeding Resilient Plantains: The technology involves creating new varieties of plantains through controlled crossbreeding.
Combining Strengths: By mixing different types of plantains, the resulting varieties inherit beneficial traits, like climate resilience, disease and pest resistance.
Targeted Traits: The developed plantain varieties can withstand diseases like black sigatoka and pests like weevils and nematodes.
Adaptation to Different Conditions: These new plantain varieties are designed to thrive in various climates and production settings.
Increased Productivity: They can retain many green leaves and bear more fruits, leading to higher yields.
Specific Culinary Uses: Although these improved plantains are excellent for certain recipes, they may not have the same quality properties as local varieties.