news crop: Plantain

IITA in partnership with the University of Buea, Cameroon; Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestieres (IRAF), Gabon; and the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Nigeria have launched a new project that aims to enhance the nutritive quality of plantain in the three countries. The launch ceremony of the project, which is funded by the African Union Research Division, took place at the IITA Headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria on 8–9 April.

IITA staff with partners from Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria.

Over the next three years, the four institutions will implement the new project, which is titled, “Enhancing nutritional quality of plantain food products through improved access to endophyte primed and high pro-vitamin A (PVA) plantain cultivars under integrated soil fertility management practices in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon.” The goal is to address the challenge of malnutrition amongst the approximately 190 million pre-school children and women of child bearing age who consume plantain as one of their key staple foods.

Speaking during the launch, IITA West Africa Hub Deputy Director, Michael Abberton, noted that the new project is well aligned with IITA’s vision of success across sub-Saharan Africa of reducing the number of malnourished children by 30% and revitalizing over 7.5 million hectares of degraded farmlands in sub-Saharan Africa.

The project has five objectives:

  1. To determine the diversity and bioactivity of beneficial microbial endophytes associated with plantains in smallholder farms in Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria.
  2. To prime high PVA content plantains with endophyte formulations and validate them against banana pests and diseases.
  3. To assess the efficacy of endophyte formulations under variable fertilization regimes using organic manure and complex mineral fertilizer formulations.
  4. To produce innovative high PVA plantain-based products and assess consumer acceptance.
  5. To participatorily disseminate effective combinations of endophyte, manure, and fertilizer formulations, and create awareness on plantain products that could alleviate vitamin A deficiency (VAD).

“The project is designed to run through the whole plantain value chain within the three countries including: plant multiplication, crop management, processing, and training of women and youth on existing business opportunities,” explained Dr Amos Alkonya, the Project Leader.

“The vision we have for this project is very big and noble. Improving pro-vitamin A in plantain will help greatly in cutting down the current annual mortality rate of 6% amongst children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa arising from pro-vitamin A deficiency,” he added.

During the two-day event, partners also took time to develop detailed workplans and budgets for the next 12 months. The event also entailed sessions on requirements for financial and technical reporting, auditing, and AU expectations, as well as partners’ roles and capacities for implementation of project activities.

Discussions about IITA’s plan to revitalize its plantain breeding in the rainforest station in Onne, south Nigeria, was the center of a presentation delivered by Rony Swennen, IITA banana Breeder, in Port Harcourt. Swennen disclosed this plan during his visit to the University of Port Harcourt for the first public lecture at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Development. The lecture was entitled “The contribution of IITA plantain and cooking banana hybrids for food security in Africa” and was presented to staff and students of the University on 18 November.

Picture of Courtesy Visit on UNIPORT Vice Chancellor by Rony. From left to right: Prof N.E.S. Lale, VC, UNIPORT; Prof Rony Swennen, IITA Scientist; Dr G.E. Omokhua, Director, IARD.

Courtesy Visit on UNIPORT Vice Chancellor by Rony. From left to right: Prof N.E.S. Lale, VC, UNIPORT; Prof Rony Swennen, IITA Scientist; Dr G.E. Omokhua, Director, IARD.

From 1976, IITA had operated at Onne –one of the major banana/plantain producing regions in West Africa. At the time, Swennen pioneered research and breeding programs that led to the development and distribution of improved, high yielding and black Sigatoka resistant plantain varieties to many countries across sub-Saharan Africa. These efforts significantly contributed to food security in the region and received international recognitions and awards, including the International King Baudouin Award of CGIAR.

These research outcomes were, however, halted in 2005 due to the move of the plantain breeding program to Cameroon and Ibadan, Nigeria. IITA realizes that Onne is unique for plantain breeding as seed production there is superior than in any other location.

IITA now plans to revive the station by establishing a center of excellence for banana breeding research and also train young researchers as well as recruit more youth from the south-south region into the IITA Agripreneur scheme that is also planned to be implemented at the station.

Swennen was received by Ndowa Lale, Vice Chancellor, UNIPORT. During the lecture, Swennen spoke extensively about IITA’s banana/plantain breeding programs in recent times, and
also highlighted steps being undertaken by management to ensure that the Onne station is fully operational by 2016.

This step is also part of efforts to implement the terms of the collaborative agreement with the University signed since February 2013.