The International Magazine on Banana and Plantain

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The International Magazine on Banana and Plantain INFOINFOMUSAMUSA The International Magazine on Banana and Plantain Vol. 10 N° 1 June 2001 IN THIS ISSUE In situ mass propagation of FHIA-20 using benzylaminopurine Socioeconomic aspects of plantain cultivation in Colombia Production of plantain leaves for the agrifood industry The evolution of photosynthesis, transpiration and chlorophyll during the development of leaves of plantain Estimation of root development from shoot traits in Musa spp. Evaluation of cultural, chemical and biological control of vascular rot and wilt in plantain Evaluation of FHIA hybrids in comparison with local Musa clones in Peru Evaluation of Musa germplasm against banana weevil borers Distribution of Fusarium wilt of banana in Kenya and its impact on smallholder farmers VCG of the populations of Fusarium (Foc) in Vietnam Black Sigatoka disease in Mexico Effect of number of subcultures on in vitro multiplication of banana clones MusaNews The banana world loses two friends and colleagues INIBAP News Thesis Books etc. Announcements PROMUSA News CTA INFOMUSA is published with the support of the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) The mission of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plan- tain is to sustainably increase the productivity of banana and plantain grown on smallholdings for domestic consumption and for local and export markets. The Programme has four specific objectives: • To organize and coordinate a global research effort on banana and plantain, aimed at the development, evaluation and dissemination of improved cultivars INFOMUSA and at the conservation and use of Musa diversity The International Magazine on Banana and Plantain Vol. 10 N° 1 • To promote and strengthen collaboration and partnerships in banana-related re- July 2001 IN THIS ISSUE In situ mass propagation of FHIA-20 using benzylaminopurine Socioeconomic aspects search activities at the national, regional and global levels of plantain cultivation in Colombia Production of plantain leaves for the agrifood industry The evolution of photosynthesis, transpiration and chlorophyll during the development of leaves • To strengthen the ability of NARS to conduct research and development activities of plantain Estimation of root development from shoot traits in Musa spp. Evaluation of cultural, chemical and biological on bananas and plantains control of vascular rot and wilt in plantain Evaluation of FHIA hybrids in comparison with local Musa clones in Peru Evaluation of Musa germplasm • To coordinate, facilitate and support the production, collection and exchange of against banana weevil borers Distribution of Fusarium wilt of banana in Kenya and its impact on smallholder farmers VCG of the populations of Fusarium (Foc) in Vietnam information and documentation related to banana and plantain. Black Sigatoka disease in Mexico Effect of number of subcultures on in vitro multiplication of banana clones MusaNews INIBAP is a programme of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute The banana world loses two friends and colleagues INIBAP News Thesis Books etc. (IPGRI), a Future Harvest center. Announcements PROMUSA News CTA INFOMUSA is published with the support of the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) Vol. 10, N° 1 INFOMUSA Vol. 10, N° 1 Cover photo: Local sale of bananas in Bolivia. (L. Pocasangre, INIBAP) CONTENTS Publisher: International Network for the Impro- vement of Banana and Plantain In situ mass propagation of the FHIA-20 banana hybrid using benzylaminopurine..................................................................................................3 Managing editor: Claudine Picq Socioeconomic aspects of plantain cultivation in Colombia.................................4 Editorial Committee: Emile Frison, Jean-Vincent Escalant, The production of fire-softened plantain leaves for the agrifood industry........9 Suzanne Sharrock, Charlotte Lusty The evolution of photosynthesis, transpiration and chlorophyll during Printed in France the development of leaves of plantain (Musa AAB Simmonds).........................12 ISSN 1023-0076 Editorial Office: Estimation of root development from shoot traits in plantain INFOMUSA, INIBAP, Parc Scientifique and banana (Musa spp.)........................................................................................15 Agropolis II, 34397 Montpellier Cedex Evaluation of cultural, chemical and biological control of vascular rot 5, France. Telephone + 33-(0)4 67 61 and wilt in plantain (Musa AAB Simmonds) ........................................................17 13 02; Telefax: + 33-(0)4 67 61 03 34; E-mail: [email protected] Evaluation of FHIA hybrids in comparison with local Musa clones in a black http//:www.inibap.org Sigatoka-free area of eastern Peru.......................................................................21 Subscriptions are free for developing countries readers. Article contributions Evaluation of Musa germplasm against banana weevil borers..........................26 and letters to the editor are welcomed. Articles accepted for publication may be Distribution of Fusarium wilt of banana in Kenya and its impact edited for length and clarity. INFOMUSA on smallholder farmers .........................................................................................28 is not responsible for unsolicited mater- Vegetative compatibility groups of the populations of Fusarium oxysporum ial, however, every effort will be made to f.sp. cubense in Vietnam .......................................................................................32 respond to queries. Please allow three months for replies. Unless accompanied Black Sigatoka disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet) in Mexico ................33 by a copyright notice, articles appearing in INFOMUSA may be quoted or repro- Effect of number of subcultures on in vitro multiplication duced without charge, provided ac- of four banana clones ...........................................................................................38 knowledgement is given of the source. MusaNews ..............................................................................................................40 French-language and Spanish-language editions of INFOMUSA are also pub- The banana world loses two friends and colleagues .........................................40 lished. To avoid missing issues of INFOMUSA, INIBAP News...........................................................................................................42 notify the editorial office at least six Thesis ......................................................................................................................47 weeks in advance of a change of address. Books etc. ...............................................................................................................47 Views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not nec- Announcements.....................................................................................................50 essarily reflect those of INIBAP. PROMUSA News ............................................................................................I to XVI Agronomy Rapid propagation In situ mass propagation of the FHIA-20 banana hybrid using benzylaminopurine D. Manzur Macias out in furrows. The plants were fertil- ized one month after planting accord- G1S ing to the results of soil analyses and ananas and plantains are giant nutritional requirements of FHIA-20 perennial grasses resulting from plant material. Bintra- and interspecific hy- Ten months after planting, each plant bridization of two diploid forest had developed 8 to 10 suckers, reaching species: Musa acuminata (banana) a height of 15-20 cm and a diameter of and M. balbisiana (plantain). They 15-20 cm at the collar of the rhizome. flourish in tropical regions and are the These are the first-generation suckers most important carbohydrate source (G1S) (Figure 1). in local economies (Stover and Sim- Using a knife disinfected with formol monds 1987). The most alarming phe- 2% before each operation, the pseu- nomenon for banana and plantain cul- dostem of each sucker was cut transver- tivation has been the appearance and sally 2 cm above the collar of the rhizome spread of diseases such as black Siga- and the apical meristem was removed at toka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis a depth of 4 cm, leaving a 2 cm-diameter Morelet) and those caused by the cavity in the rhizome (Figure 2A); the streak mosaic virus (BSV) and cucum- Figure 1. Differentiation of first-generation pseudostem fragment was then cut with ber mosaic virus (CMV). These prob- suckers (G1S). crosswise incisions, boring down to the lems have been tackled by breeding rhizome collar (Figure 2B). Once these programmes which have succeeded in G2S cuts had been made on each sucker, developing plantain varieties resistant A 4 ml of benzylaminopurine (BAP) at to black Sigatoka (Vuylsteke 1998), 40 mg/l distilled water were deposited with a high yield and high palatability. D in the cavity left by the removal of the The FHIA-20 hybrid bred by Dr Phil apical meristem (Figure 2C). The rhi- Rowe at Fundación Hondureña de In- C zomes were then covered with a mix- vestigación Agrícola (FHIA) is an ex- ture of equal parts of sandy loam and ample. poultry dung compost to 5 cm above Improved plantains are polyploid B ground level. The so-called second- and parthenocarpic and are thus prop- generation suckers (G2S) appeared agated vegetatively from daughter after 3 months on each treated
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