Banana Production Trends, Cultivar Diversity, and Tissue Culture Technologies Uptake in Kenya
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Date
2021-02
Authors
Wahome, Caroline N.
Maingi, John M.
Ombori, Omwoyo
Kimiti, Jacinta M.
Njeru, Ezekiel M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Agronomy
Abstract
Banana (Musa acuminate L) is the world’s most widely known and distributed fruit and is a great contributor to food security in
the developing world. However, many limiting factors affect banana farming, which cut across sociodemographic factors and
agronomic and management practices. *e current study was carried in three counties, including Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu. *e
study aimed to assess agronomic practices, banana production practices (main banana cultivars, source of planting materials),
market information, and awareness of tissue culture bananas. Sample size was determined using the Snedecor and Cochran
formula, and data were collected using structured questionnaires, observation, and face to face interviews from 90 smallholder
farmers. Data obtained were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0, and Microsoft Excel was
used to generate tables and graphs. Results indicated that banana production in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu were limited by several
factors including pests and diseases, limited access to quality disease-free planting materials, access to extension services, especially
in Kisii and Nyamira, as well as access to agrochemicals. Declining production as well as limited market access also adversely
affected production in these regions. Most farmers chose cultivars according to the availability of planting materials, suitability to
the region, productivity, as well as market demand. *e most predominant cultivar in Kisii and Nyamira was the Ng’ombe which
was planted by about 90% and 73.3% of the respondents, respectively. In Embu, the most common cultivar was Israel and was
planted by 96% of the respondents. More than 50% of the farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu cited lack of awareness of tissuecultured
bananas. None of the respondents in the study sites carried out any value addition processes on bananas thus limiting
exploitation of a major revenue source. *ere was low adoption of tissue-cultured banana cultivation with the highest recorded
number of respondents growing tissue-cultured banana reported in Embu (36%), followed by Kisii (10%) and lastly Nyamira
(3.3%), as well as limited knowledge of tissue culture technology in three counties with 60% of the respondents in Kisii, Nyamira,
and Embu indicating limited knowledge of the tissue-cultured banana varieties. *is could potentially lead to a decline in
production due to the use of potentially diseased planting materials. Creating awareness with the aid of relevant authorities on the
potential benefits of utilizing disease-free tissue-cultured bananas and adopting low-cost tissue culture technology will significantly
boost banana production in these regions and the country as a whole. *e results of this study could be used by relevant
stakeholders to increase banana productivity in the study areas.
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Citation
Wahome, C. N., Maingi, J. M., Ombori, O., Kimiti, J. M., & Njeru, E. M. (2021). Banana production trends, cultivar diversity, and tissue culture technologies uptake in Kenya. International Journal of Agronomy, 2021, 1-11.