Abstract:

Banana is an essential staple crop throughout the Great Lakes region of East Africa. It is also an important source of trade and income. To safeguard sustainable banana production and generate wealth for smallholder farmers, high quality planting material is crucial. Banana in smallholder farmer systems in East Africa is traditionally propagated by means of suckers, which contain pests and diseases. Plants produced through tissue culture are mostly free from pests and diseases (with a few exceptions). There are many further benefits to using tissue culture plants: (1) they are more vigorous, meaning faster growth and higher yields; (2) they are more uniform, allowing for better planned marketing; and (3) they can be produced in large quantities in a short period of time, facilitating distribution of both existing and new cultivars. In other words, tissue culture technology can help banana farmers to make the transition from subsistence to income generation. However, there are hurdles that are limiting widespread uptake and optimal use of tissue culture technology among smallholder farmers in East Africa. Distribution systems of tissue culture plantlets to farmers are one key obstacle. Plantlets are often distributed in large quantities at subsidized prices by various development partners, but this is not sustainable in the long run. Tissue culture plantlets are fragile, and their thriving depends on good management by nursery operators and farmers, especially in the early stages. This knowledge is currently mostly lacking. For nursery operators, the correct handling of plantlets in humidity chambers and shade houses determines plantlet survival and quality. For farmers, plantlets need to be carefully and properly transported, and receive suitable water and fertilizer to fully reap the benefits.