An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol was tested using eight clones of Musa with different ploidy and genomic background. These were selected to represent several major groups of Musa including dessert and highland bananas (AAA), cooking bananas (ABB), improved plantain hybrids (AAB X AA) and wild diploids (AA and BB). Following co-cultivation, GUS histochemical activity was detected in tissue of the highland banana cultivar Mbwazirume and the wild diploid Musa balbisiana. For the ...

One suspected mutant with the broad, thick and dark green leaves characteristic of tetraploid cassava was found from each of the cassava clones TMS 91934 and TMS 89/00037-17 planted out in the field. Cytological examination confirmed them as tetraploids with chromosomes number 2n=4x=72. The mutants seen to be derived from natural solid mutation of axillary or adventitious buds through somatic chromosomes doubling of the initial cells of the buds as a result of abnormal mitotic division. Somatic ...

A field experiment with suckers taken from five improved plantain hybrids and one landrace with typical symptoms of banana streak badnavirus (BSV) infection was established at Ibadan (Nigeria) to investigate climatic factors affecting BSV symptom development and to identify parameters useful in genotype evaluation for BSV incidence. Weekly monitoring of individual plants for symptom incidence and severity indicated that symptom expression was more severe during the rainy season (July to October-November) ...

Recent successes in the conventional cross-breeding of plantains and cooking bananas by genetic improvement programmes will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of new clones that require testing before release to farmers. In most cases testing focused on disease resistance and yield but little attention was given to fruit quality. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has developed a procedure for testing the fruit quality of landraces and hybrid Musa genotypes. This ...

Cet article analyze the determinants of cholera des méthodes de lutte contre les pestes, dans les plantations de café et de cacao des communautés paysannes du sud-Cameroun. Les méthodes sont chimiques, traditionnelles, et mixtes. Pour capter l'influence des variables socio-économiques sur la probabilité d'utilisation des différentes méthodes, a multinomial logit modèle a été utilisé. Les résultats obtenus révèlent the variables which influence significantly the choix des différents moyens utilisés ...

Epidermal and histological characterization of Musa species and cultivars were carried out to investigate the descriptor value of calcium oxalate between groups and subgroups of cultivars. Epidermal peels of the bracts of selected plantain and banana cultivars stained with 0.01% safranin solution and permanent mounts of microtometric sections of fruits, bracts and peduncles stained with hydrogen peroxide and silver nitrate were microscopically examined for their crystal content and features. Bract ...

In allocating experimental subjects that are not homogeneous (eg. animals, socio-economic units such as households, etc.) to treatment groups, certain attributes which are likely to affect the results if not accounted for, are usually used as classification variables prior to allocation. This can easily be done for one or two variables by dividing the observed range(s) of the key classification variable(s) into sub-groups and ensuring, as far as possible, that treatments appear in all groups (as ...

East African Highland bananas (Musa spp., AAA) also known by their vernacular name ‘matooke', are a major staple food for the densely populated high elevation regions of Eastern and Central Africa. Banana production, however, is declining due to increased pest and disease pressure. Nematodes are considered to be a major constraint. An experiment was established at the East and Southern Africa Regional Centre of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture at Sendusu (Uganda) to assess the ...

Aflatoxin level in 300 farmers' stores in four agro-ecological zones in Benin, a West African coastal country, were determined over a period of 2 years. At sampling a questionnaire was used to evaluate maize storage practices. Farmers were asked what storage structure they used, their storage form, storage period, pest problems in storage and what was done against them. Beninese farmers often changed their storage structures during the storage period, transfering the maize from a drying or temporary ...

The effect of potassium application to maize plants on the development, survival and fecundity as well as larval and pupal weight of Sesamia calamistis and Eldana saccharina were studied in the laboratory. Six different potassium treatments corresponding to 0, 30, 60, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg K2O/ha were used. Potassium had no influence on larval and pupal developmental time or longevity of adult S. calamistis. The highest larval mortality was observed at 0 and at 150 kg K2O/ha. Increased doses (> ...