抄録
This work was done to address the huge decline of banana value chain in Malawi mainly due to Banana Bunchy Top Disease. Prevalence of several factors comprising poor soil fertility management, lack of nutrient and moisture conservation practices, inadequate control of prevailing pests and diseases, insufficient production and progressive pressure on local germplasm was revealed. Integrated crop management practices were designed and applied to several collected banana local cultivars. In parallel, hands-on capacity building for extension workers, lead farmers and farmers was performed using the Farmer Field School approach in 10 districts of Malawi. The process led to increased communities’ knowledge and understanding of the challenges and the appropriate solutions.
From the 15 local cultivars collected, 12 reached the production stage at the 3 residential training centres of Mzuzu, Lisasadzi and Thuchira. Higher yield levels were attained under integrated crop management practices as compared to unimproved farmers’ practices. Moreover, the main diseases and pests were efficiently controlled in the various sites of the study applying the integrated practices. Higher yield levels combined with efficient disease control has induced motivation among the farmers to adopt the integrated package. By the end of 2021, 232 community learning and multiplication sites had been established with 68,142 clean banana suckers planted on a cumulative surface of 61 hectares. The established plots serve both for season-long training of extension workers and farmers while production of clean suckers provides locally affordable planting materials for farmers.
