We studied the effect of treating banana and plantain (Musa spp.) suckers using boiling water for the generation of healthy planting material. Small, medium and large-sized suckers of two East African highland bananas (cvs. Mbwazirume, Kibuzi, AAA-EA) and one of plantain (cv. Agbagba, AAB) were dipped in boiling water for 10, 20 or 30 s after root removal and corm (sucker) paring. Treatments were compared with a conventional farmer method (control), which was not pared or treated with boiling water, and also with pared only. At three months after treatment, germination, plant height and girth of plants were similar within sucker size and between treatments for each cultivar. Root health was improved by boiling water treatment for all cultivars compared to untreated controls. Boiling water treatment of suckers reduced combined nematode densities of Helicotylenchus multicinctus, Radopholus similis and Meloidogyne spp. to 0.7% of farmer controls. Boiling water-treated suckers had less banana weevil damage than controls. Treatment of pared suckers for at least 20 s and up to 30 s was highly efficient for disinfesting banana and plantain planting material. This modification of the hot water treatment is a practical adaptation, suitable for smallholder growers to improve the quality of banana and plantain planting material in smallholder farms.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2010.08.008

Multi standard citation

APAHarvardMLAVancouverChicagoIEEE

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2010.08.008

Banana; Disease Control; Pests Of Plants; Plant Diseases; Plantain; Smallholder Farmers

Helicotylenchus Multicinctus; Meloidogyne; Musa; Plant Parasitic Namatodes; Radopholus Similis; Smallholders; Bananas; Plantains

Africa; East Africa; West Africa

Nigeria; Uganda

Crop Protection