The Ug andan National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and theInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have released a second report on the ongoing preliminary performance trials of the first-ever hybrid varieties of the East Africa highl and banana, jointly developed by the two organizations for food and juice.
This coincides with the launch of a five-year project that will see these hybrid varieties known as NARITA (NARO-IITA) go for further evaluation on farmers’ field across multiple locations in Tanzania and Ug anda (See press release).
The second report presents the results of the performance evaluation of 25 NARITA hybrids against the local check (Mbwazirume) in three crop cycles at Sendusu in central Ug anda. The hybrids again performed better than the local check for most of the traits being assessed including bunch weight. For example, 96% of the hybrids had an average mean bunch weight of 17.8 kg that was higher than that of the local check (11 kg).
However, there was also great variation in the performance of individual NARITA varieties throughout the three crop cycles including bunch weight which ranged from as low as 5 to as high as 45 kg. This shows there is immense potential for further improvement of the NARITA hybrids.
The first report focused on the results of cycles 1 and 2. It also found that 96% of the hybrids had a bunch weight greater than that of the local check. The bunch weight varied up to 28.4 kg, with an overall mean of 18.3 kg.
The results of the two reports therefore build a strong case for the superiority of the hybrids in terms of yield and resistance to black Sigatoka as well as having farmer-preferred quality traits; and in turn, the potential to increase banana production in Ug anda, Tanzania, and the highl ands of East Africa.
Further testing is now planned by Bioversity International, NARO, ARI and IITA in Ug anda and Tanzania across multiple locations and involving farmers to assess performance on farmers’ fields to ascertain their actual performance, adaptability, and stability in comparison with the local EAHB cultivars.
For more information:
NARO
Dr Robooni Tumuhimbise, Banana Breeder, NARO, E-mail: rtumuhimbise@hotmail.com; Tel. +256778455710
Dr Jerome Kubiriba, Programme Leader, National Banana Research Programme, NARO; E-mail: jkubiriba2012@gmail.com; Tel. +256 773 155 760
Professor Wilberforce Tushemereirwe, Director of Research-NARL, NARO, E-mail: wktush@kari.go.ug , banana@imul.com; Tel. +256 414567649
IITA
Professor Rony Swennen, Banana Breeder, IITA-Tanzania, Tel: +32 16 32 14 20, E-mail: r.swennen@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. It is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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