Smallholder banana systems in Africa; what needs to be done today to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Smallholder banana systems in Africa; what needs to be done today to ensure sustainability tomorrow?

Eldad Karamura (PhD) Senior Scientist / Regional Coordinator Eastern and Southern Africa Commodity Systems and Genetic Resources Programme Bioversity International

Presentation content

• General context
• Systems characteristics in Africa
• Systems production constraints
• Which solution options?
• Research Options

General context xt for th the banana smallholder systems in in Afr Africa

• Slow-changing and rural-based

economies;

• Increased competition for land, water,

energy, and other inputs linked to rapid population growth (2.5 – 3.5% annually);

• Climate change poses challenges to

agriculture, particularly in African countries with increasing temperatures and shorter rain seasons;

• Many farming practices damage the

environment and may be a major source of greenhouse gases (GHG);

• Changing social structures due to HIV-

AIDS, rural-to-urban migration and declining returns from agriculture;

• Ensuring sustainability of smallholder

systems in Africa will demand radical recasting of banana production systems to achieve major productivity increases while reducing environmental impact.

General context xt cont’d

Systems Characteristics:

• 1. Farm sizes

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 >0-2 >2-4 >4-6 >6-8 >8-10 >10-15 >15-20 >20-40

Acres Percentage

Uganda Tanzania Kenya

Intensively cultivated;highly fragmented

Systems Characteristics cont’d

• 2. Dietary importance of

banana in ECA

Staver (2000) Viljoen (2010) Blomme et al 2012 Black leaf spots (M.fijiensis & Cladosporium) Xanthomonas Banana Weevil Nematode Fusarium wilt Nematodes Weevil Black leaf streak BBTD Fusarium Nematodes BSV Viruses Banana Weevil Mycosphaerella leaf spots Viruses Viruses Xanthomonas wilt Fusarium

• 3. Pests and diseases: no major change in types but serious

changes in intensity

Systems Characteristics cont’d

Systems Characteristics cont’d

• 4. Share of cultivar groups in Eastern and Southern Africa subsample (N = 147)

9

5.Highly intensively managed systems

Systems Characteristics cont’d

Vari riety Selection Varieties mixes Intercrops Enhancing g plant vigour Manure /mulch application Soil-water conservation Plant spacing Exclusion methods ds Rouging / pruning Manipulation of planting dates

Gener Generall ally, lo , low input w input : : lo low out w output s put sys ystems tems

Yield Constraint Global rank Average points allocated (out of 120 points) BARNESA ECA region Southern Africa BXW 10 12.00 13.98 0.91 Infected planting material 1 11.59 11.79 10.50 Water deficit 3 8.74 8.69 9.00 N-deficiencies 11 5.65 5.70 5.36 K-deficiencies 12 5.26 5.34 4.82 BBTD 9 5.01 3.34 14.36 Banana weevil 6 4.94 5.33 2.82 Fusarium wilt 4 4.98 4.87 5.59 Nematodes 8 4.86 4.93 4.41 Non-uniform planting material 5 4.61 4.81 3.50

Systems production constraints ts

Top 10 major yield constraints in smallholder systems ESA

Yield Constraint All BARNES A Major cultivar groups Cavendish AAA (n=37) Other dissert AAA (n=7) EAHB AAA (n=88) Beer banana ABB (n=8) BXW 12.00 3.74 7.14 16.14 5.58 Infected pm 11.59 10.49 9.29 12.48 9.13 Water deficit 8.74 8.83 13.57 8.80 5.38 N-deficiencies 6.56 5.63 5.57 5.82 5.38 K-deficiencies 5.26 4.80 4.71 5.53 5.25 BBTD 5.01 6.66 6.71 3.65 13.38 Banana weevil 4.94 2.74 1.57 6.28 2.88 Fusarium wilt 4.98 5.60 5.43 3.94 3.75 Nematodes 4.86 4.71 3.14 5.23 1.50 Non-uniform pm 4.61 5.54 3.71 4.44 2.63

Systems production constraints ts

Major yield constraints by cultivar group (ESA)

Aver erage ge weight (% of eight (% of total points alloca total points allocated) ted) assigned assigned to ca to cate tegories gories of

• f yield

yield-limiting limiting factor actors

Systems production constraints cont’d

From: Diemuth Pemsl and Charles Staver, 2014

Top 10 income increasing factors

Which solu lution opti tions?

From: Diemuth Pemsl and Charles Staver, 2014

Research options identified for assessment

• 1. Integrated management of XW and other bacterial diseases
• GM EAHB AAA variety resistant to bacterial wilt
• Improved cultural practices & low cost diagnostic kit
• 2. Recovery of production affected by banana bunchy top virus (BBTV)
• 3. Sustainable Fusarium Wilt management system
• 4. Developing banana varieties resistant to major pests and diseases
• EAHB AAA resistant to nematodes (N), weevils, black leaf streak
• AAB Plantain resistant to BLS, N, weevils + improved quality traits
• Sweet acid banana resistant to FOC, BLS, N + improved quality traits
• 5. Developing strategies and tools for disease surveillance, quarantine and

containment

Note: Research options with preliminary assessment in green font

Research options identified for assessment

6. Better use / availability of existing genetic diversity for (a)biotic stress and consumer acceptability 7. Sustainable intensification of banana-based cropping systems 8. Rapid and enhanced genetic gains by diploid breeding 9. Reducing losses, expanding utilization of banana products and waste:

• Reducing post-harvest losses and waste and/or expanding use of

waste, decreasing processing costs and increasing income for small- scale producers/processors through improving post-harvest systems (just in time supply);

• Processing and value addition (developing rural agri-business options

for improved income and gender equity)

Note: Research options with preliminary assessment in green font

Thank you