Preface Since most developing countries are situated in the Tropics or Subtropics and exposed to harsh conditions in terms of natural, social and economic environment, the level of productivity of crops is generally low and unstable. Under such circumstances the developing countries are endeavoring to increase food production, while struggling to cope with population issues and the poverty. In these efforts, because the technology developed in advanced countries situated in the temperate zone are often not applicable directly, it is necessary in the agricultural cooperation with developing countries to carry out in advance the surveys and studies on the technologies applicable to local environment by taking full account of the specific geographical and social conditions of a location. Actually we receive frequently the requests for carrying out such tasks of research. Consequently our Association, in the framework of activities of survey and study, has been engaged for a long time in implementing projects of research on the technologies for tropical agriculture, the results of which have been summarized in the publication of the “Tropical Agriculture Series” (consisting of “Manuals of Tropical Agriculture” and “Manuals of Tropical Crops”). Since 2006 we are implementing the project of “Studies on subsistence crops”, assisted by a subsidy program of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in order to collect and analyze the basic fact data and the useful information for improving production technologies on the crops grown principally for subsistence purposes, and at the same time to explore new potentials for the commodities. As principal food crops in Africa, there are root crops (cassava, yams, etc.) and cereals (maize, sorghum, millets), but this year we focused our studies on cooking bananas that occupy the fifth place in the rank of food crops of the largest consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa (data by FAOSTAT 2003). In the creation of this report, in order to acquire accurate and up-to-date information, we have dispatched a field survey mission to the Republic of Uganda (hereafter Uganda) that produces the largest quantity of cooking bananas in Sub-Saharan Africa, and at the same time a study committee (chaired by C. Kaneda) was organized at home within the Association to review the research contents from the viewpoints of an advanced level of expertise. This report reflects the efforts exerted by writers as well as by the committee members. We would like to take this opportunity for expressing our deep appreciation for them. Moreover, we acknowledge with high gratitude the collaborative favors extended for the implementation of the project by the officials of relevant authorities including Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Government of Uganda, and various international organizations. Incidentally, we have also compiled a monograph “Agriculture and forestry in Uganda” that describes and discusses the current state and the issues on development of the agriculture and forestry in Uganda, which we hope that you would also refer to at the same time. We earnestly hope that this report shall serve as a useful reference for those who are engaged in actual activities in situ with the mission of international cooperation for the reduction of starved and undernourished population, the establishment of food security, and the poverty reduction in Africa. March 2010 Hisao Azuma President JAICAF Authors Kaori KOMATSU, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Social and Human Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Sizuoka University Area of expertise: Ecological Anthropology Part: Chapter I “Diversity of banana and its origin” and Chapter II Yasuaki SATO, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Human Life and Environment, Faculty of Human Environment, Osaka Sangyo University Area of expertise: Ethnobotany, African Area Studies Part: Chapter I “2. East African Highland banana” and Chapter III Koichi KITANISHI, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University Area of expertise: Ecological Anthropology Part: Chapter I “3. Plantain subgroup” Kunihiko SUZUKI, Ph.D. Fomer Professor, Department of Bioproduction Technology, Junior College of Tokyo University of Agriculture Area of expertise: Pomology Part: Chapter IV Florence Isabirye MURANGA, Ph.D. Lecturer, Department of Food Science and Technology, Makerere University, Uganda Director, Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), Uganda Area of expertise: Food Science and Technology Part: Chapter V Members of the Technical Committee Chukichi KANEDA, Ph.D.* Technical Adviser, Japan Association for International Collaboration of Agriculture and Forestry (JAICAF). Itaru KOZAKI, Ph.D. Technical Adviser, Japan Association for International Collaboration of Agriculture and Forestry (JAICAF). Keiko SANO Director, East Africa Division 2, Africa Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kunihiko SUZUKI, Ph.D. Fomer Professor, Department of Bioproduction Technology, Junior College of Tokyo University of Agriculture Nobuyuki KURAUCHI, Ph.D. Associate Professor, College of Bioresources sciences, Nihon University Shinji OGAWA Expert on the Social Forestry Siaw Onwona-Agyeman, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Environmentally-friendly Agricultural System Development, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Ryuzo NISHIMAKI, Ph.D. Expert of JICA Project in Uganda Yasuaki SATO, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Human Life and Environment, Faculty of Human Environment, Osaka Sangyo University Note: Order of the alphabets Chairperson indicated by * Bract scar Bract Stigma Anther Style Male flower Compound tepal Free tepal Leaf Petiole Peduncle, Axis bunch ＞ hand ＞ finger Pseudostem (Leaf sheath) Sucker Rhizome Root Fig. 1 Organs of banana Original: IPGRI, INIBAP and CIRAD 1996, Descriptors for banana (Musa spp.). Petiole 5cm A B 5cm A B Male bud 1cm Free tepal 1cm x x Bract y 5cm y A B Ovule arrangement 1cm A B Fig. 2 Some characters used in taxonomic scoring of banana cultivars to estimate the genome types Original: Stover, R.H. and N.W. Simmonds 1987, Bananas, 3rd ed., Longman, Essex. Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................... Authors............................................................................................................... Member of the Technical Committee ............................................................... Fig. 1 Organs of banana .................................................................................... Fig. 2 Some characters used in taxonomic scoring of banana cultivars to estimate the genome types........................................................................... Chapter I. Taxonomy and genealogy of cooking bananas: diversity in genome types and cultivars .......................................................................... 1 1. Diversity of banana and its origin.............................................................. 1 1) Taxonomy and genealogy ................................................................... 1 2) Origin and dissemination of banana................................................... 4 3) Distribution.......................................................................................... 7 2. East African Highland banana.................................................................... 10 1) Classification ....................................................................................... 10 2) Distribution and diversity.................................................................... 18 3. Plantain subgroup ....................................................................................... 20 1) Classification ....................................................................................... 20 2) Distribution and diversity.................................................................... 27 Chapter II. Cultivation and utilization of cooking bananas in Africa.............. 40 1. General situation......................................................................................... 40 1) Systems of cropping and utilization..................................................... 40 2) Production and yield by zone............................................................... 41 2. East Africa – Indian Ocean Complex ........................................................ 43 3. Central and West Africa – Plantain ............................................................ 48 Chapter III. Cultivation and utilization of cooking bananas in Uganda.......... 60 1. Production and distribution ........................................................................ 60 1) Production............................................................................................. 60 2) Distribution ........................................................................................... 62 2. Cropping system......................................................................................... 66 1) Home garden system ............................................................................ 66 2) Cultivation methods.............................................................................. 68 3. Maintenance of banana diversity ............................................................... 75 1) Cultivars and utilization