Nutrition guidelines for community extension workers

United States Agency for International Developmen

Ploidy variation of Musa hybrids from crosses

Plantain and banana (Musa spp) breeding involves crossing 3x (triploid) landraces to 2x (diploid) accessions as female and male parents, respectively, selecting 4x (tetraploid) and 2x primary hybridsfrom the 3x - 2x progenies, and crossing 4x - 2x hybrids to produce secondary 3x hybrids. In these crosses, complex ploidy and genome arrays occur frequently making it difficult to predict the productsof crosses. The objective of the study was (a) to determine the ploidy of progenies of 2x – 2x, 2x – 4x and 4x – 2x crosses, and (b) to assess the agronomic characteristics of diploid and triploid progeniesrecovered from the same or similar crosses. The breeding population involved progenies of interploidy crosses field established in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Ploidywas determined using Flow cytometry analysis of nuclear DNA content and chloroplast characteristics. Results indicated that progenies of 2x–2x crosses were predominantly diploid (99.7%), those of 2x–4x crosses were mainly diploid (96.2%), while the 4x–2x crosses produced predominantly triploid progenies (94.1%). Very highly significant differences (

Factors driving the adoption of cooking banana processing and utilisation methods in Nigeria

As part of efforts in realising her aim of introducing cooking banana into Nigeria, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) mounted training and awareness campaigns on its utilisation in collaboration with Shell and Agip Oil companies between 1991 and 1997. This study looked into the adoption profile of the utilisation methods and the factors that may have influenced it. Data were collected from a random sample of 232 respondents from 24 villages in southeast Nigeria. Results showed an overall adoption level of 79.5%. The highest adoption levels were obtained for those utilisation methods similar to local and traditional methods of plantain consumption and lowest for nontraditionaluses. The extent or intensity of adoption by the respondents ranged from 1 processing method to 7, with an average of 3. As a proportion of the number of utilisation methods on which training was given, the intensity of adoption ranged from 12.5% to 100% with a mean of 52.2%, meaningthat the respondents have adopted more than 50% of the total number methods on which they received training. The major factors which have strongly influenced the adoption process were the level of educational attainment, social status, primary occupation, intensity of training received, availability of commercially-produced plantain products in the market/area, trialability as well as the number of desirable attributes of the utilisation methods

Impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the postharvest fruit qualities of four "musa" (AAB sub-group) genotypes in sub-humid zone of Nigeria

The postharvest fruit quality responses of four plantain genotypes (‘29525’, ‘30456-3’, ‘PITA 14’ and Agbagba) to fertilizer types (inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizer and control (no fertilizer) were evaluated in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 cropping seasons. The experimental design was a 4 x 3 factorial in randomized block design with three replications. There were significant differences (

Ploidy and genome composition of Musa germplasm at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Musa spp (bananas and plantains) constitute a hybrid-polyploid complex and are classified according to different genome compositions such as AA, BB, AB, AAA, AAB, ABB, AAAA, ABBB, AAAB and AABB. Knowledge of ploidy and exact genome compositions of the parental material is essential forMusa breeding. This study determined the ploidy levels and genome composition of the Musa germplasm collection, constituting over 300 accessions, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria and Uganda. Flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA content was used toestimate ploidy levels, while genome composition was ascertained with RAPD markers that are specific for the A and B genomes of Musa. It was determined that at least 8% of the plants in the germplasmcollection were miss-classified in terms of ploidy and/or genome composition. The cultivars 'Pisang awak', 'Foulah 4' and 'Nzizi', previously classified as triploids, were found to be tetraploids by flowcytometry and conventional root tip chromosome counts. Similarly, cultivars that were previously classified as diploids including ‘Too’, and ‘Toowoolee’ were found to be triploids in our analysis. Ploidy and genome classification in Musa was generally determined from morphological characteristics. While our study showed that such a system is not always reliable, it was interesting to find that none of the plantains in the germplasm collection were miss-classified with regards to both ploidy and genome composition

A review of policy acts and initiatives in plantain and banana innovation system in Nigeria

Plantain and banana are among the most important staple food crops in humid forest zone of West and Central Africa. These has made the crop one of the key research mandates of International and nationalresearch institutes, both of which has developed many technologies aimed at improving the production of the crop and removing constraints posed by pest and diseases, marketing opportunities andperishability. Despite these efforts and research breakthrough the production of the crops has been on consistent downward trend in recent years. A ten years (1996 - 2005) production figure of the cropsshowed that land under plantain and banana production increased by 24.6% while yield reduction of 21.8% was recorded during the same period (FAOSTAT, 2006). This abysmal trend prompted a 40 years(1967 - 2006) review of policy acts and initiatives on the crops, with an examination of various efforts in the areas of research, dissemination, utilization, production and marketing. Seven gaps of criticalimplications to production and commercialization were identified; these include government nonintervention, marketing and constraints to production, weak/fragile links among stakeholders, researchfarmersdichotomy, project sustainability, lack of documentation and funding. Linkages among stakeholders were generally weak and without cohesion, objectives were at variance and unhealthy.The study concluded that stakeholder’s cohesion and coordination of efforts is needed for increased production and commercialization. Also governmental intervention is needed in the areas of policyinitiatives and acts that will go beyond the ad-hoc response which are usually triggered by natural disaster such as pest and diseases as is the case with black Sigatoka outbreak in mid 80’s which wasthe only period government really intervened in plantain and banana production in Nigeria

International institute of tropical agriculture plantain and banana programme: An insight into the contributions of farmer-to- farmer extension paradigm

Dissemination of research results by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) had been a major challenge to the Institute as inappropriate dissemination mechanism was revealed as a majorconstraint to her earlier efforts in disseminating cooking banana technologies between 1990 and 1994. A public-private technology delivery approach (research-farmer-to-farmer extension approach), which allows farmers to play the major role in dissemination of IITA plantain and banana based technologies was undertaken in three states of Nigeria. This study provides an insight into the contributions of thisparadigm shift. The results show that farmer-to-farmer dissemination accounted for 26.6% awareness and 35.7% source of solutions to problems encountered in technology adoption at no direct cost toresearch and extension. Average plantain and banana hybrid adoption in the three states was 50.7%. Correlation analysis revealed that household size, ever questioned about plantain production problems,frequency of extension visits and trial experience had significant relationships with adoption. The regression analysis indicated that trial experience was the only variable with predictive value for plantain and banana hybrids adoption (R = 0.21). We concluded that free flow of information among all stakeholders is the panacea for sustained adoption and diffusion of the IITA plantain and banana basedinnovations