Cropping systems with Plantain/Banana In

Nigeria

National Horticultural Research Institute

Musa production country wide

Hectares Total production

(metric tons)

Tons exported

7,720,754 6,320,000 Negligible

National production by cultivar group

Cultivar group Hectares Total production

tonnes

Names important

cultivars

1 Cavendish

AAA

327,600 608,000

2 Gros Michel

AAA

109,200 121,600

3 other AAA

dessert types

873,600 790,400 ‘Omini’ (Green & Red),

‘Paranta’

4 East African

Highland AAA

- -

5 Plantain AAB 3,003,000 3,600,000 ‘Agbagba’, ‘Red Ogoni’,

6 other AAB,

including South

Pacific plantains

819,000 864,000 French plantain,

‘Asogba’

7 ABB cooking

bananas

273,000 240,000

8 Diploid types 54,600 96,000

National production by cultivar group x production

system Production

system/cultivar gp

Hectares Total production

tonnes

Names important

cultivars

[1] Assoc. with

Perennial Crops 1,516,353.08

1,580,796.60

Plantain AAB, Other

AAB,

[2] AFC int. Musa

(4-5yrs)

2,395,635.26

1,379,915.79

Plantain AAB, Other

AAB, Cavendish, Gross

Mich., Other dessert

[3] P. Musa + AFC 2,443,731.38

2,222,703.73

Plantain AAB, Other

AAB, Cavendish, Gross

Mich., Cooking banana

Other dessert

[4] Musa + short AFC

@ estabmt. 936,410.14

662,137.33

Plantain AAB, Other

AAB, Cavendish, Gross

Mich., Cooking banana

Other dessert

[5] P. Musa monocrop 428,643.00

503,511.52

Plantain AAB, Other

AAB, Cavendish, Gross

Mich., Cooking banana

Other dessert

Nigeria map with major production zones:

Production

in the most {1b} important production zone in the country

by the different production systems Production

system

Hectares Total production

tonnes

% banana / plantain

production for market [1] Assoc. with

Perennial Crops 990,566.76 1,168,868.78 95%

[2] AFC int. Musa

(4-5yrs) 1,142,961.65 828,647.20 85%

[3] P. Musa + AFC 952,468.04 881,032.94 85%

Climate for production zone Average annual rainfall: 2500mm Number of dry months

(less than 60 mm/month): 3 months

Average temperature: 27oC

Production

in the second most {1a} important production zone

by the different production systems Production

system

Hectares Total

production

tonnes

% banana / plantain

production for market

[1] Assoc. with

Perennial Crops

238,297.65 204,935.98

85%

[2] AFC int. Musa

(4-5yrs) 304,997.00

99,124.03

85%

[3] P. Musa + AFC 247,810.10 130,100.30 90%

Climate for production zone Average annual rainfall: 1250mm Number of dry months (less than 60 mm/month): 5 months Average temperature: 27oC

Production

in the third most {1c} important production zone

by the different production systems Production

system

Hectares Total

production

tonnes

% banana / plantain

production for market

[1] Assoc. with

Perennial Crops

287,488.67

206,991.84 60%

[3] P. Musa + AFC

670,806.89 352,173.62 55%

[4] Musa + short

AFC @ estabmt.

47,9147.78

263,531.28

60%

Climate for production zone Average annual rainfall: 2000mm Number of dry months (less than 60 mm/month): 5 months Average temperature: 27oC

Production

in the fourth most important {2} production zone

by the different production systems

Production

system

Hectares Total

production

tonnes

% banana /

plantain production

for market [2] AFC int.

Musa (4-5yrs)

307690.57

356921.0612

65%

[3] P. Musa +

AFC

376066.26 770935.833

65%

Climate for production zone Average annual rainfall: 1000mm Number of dry months (less than 60 mm/month): 7 months Average temperature: 35oC

Describe cropping system for most important production system from establishment to end of year 3

• Manual Field clearing leaving few trees/shrubs that are not disturbing followed by trash burning.

• Cocoa seedlings planted and plantain intercropped within. Short duration crops (SDC) (maize, melon) comes in mainly in first year.

• Management practices (weeding, fertilization etc)

• Maize and/or melon harvested, then cassava.

• In the second year cocoyam may be planted and harvested.

• Propping done at fruiting and harvesting done at fruit maturity.

• Plantain harvested the second year, excess sucker transferred to increase plant population or given out.

• Plantain cont. with cocoa until canopy closed out.

Describe cropping practices for most important production system:

Year 1: Planting density of banana/plantain :– 800 -900 plants/ha average size of field: 2 ha Source of suckers: Purchase, Neighbours, own farm Sucker preparation practices: Only desuckering and atimes paring Associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. Cocoa 2. Maize 3. Cocoyam 4. Melon 5. Cassava Note: Not all, depending on the interest of the farmer. Cropping practices done by men: Clearing, Burning, Planting, weeding, Cropping practices done by women: Packing of trash, Planting, weeding, Who sells banana/plantain? Women mainly. Some men in the North. What market? Local market (Farm gate, Retail and whole sale)

Year 2: Replanting of banana/plantain: Unless there are missing stands. Banana/plantain yield: bunches/hectare, kg/bunch: 12-15kg/bunch Additional associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. Cocoyam (6-9months) 2. Maize (3 months) 3. Cassava (12 months) Cropping practices done by men: Weeding, Propping, Harvesting, Porters transporting to collection point (Road side) Cropping practices done by women: Leaves removal, Bunch movement, Selling of produce, marketing, processing/value addition

Year 3: Replanting of banana/plantain: Banana/plantain yield: bunches/hectare, kg/bunch : 9-11Kg/bunch Additional associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. Cocoyam 2. Vegetables Cropping practices done by men: As stated above Cropping practices done by women: As stated above

Seasonal price fluctuation for bunch – farm gate

“Price/Kg”

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 194.7 174.6 173.3 280.0 280.0 300.0 300.0 300.0 179.1 168.3 178.7 162.5

Seasonal distribution of bunches for one hectare crop field

“bunches harvested per month”

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Practices currently used to maintain land productivity : Using of rejuvenated land, Application of inorganic fertilizer (when available), Mulching with Farm refuse. Limiting factors for banana/plantain yield: Over reliance on natural rainfall, Paucity of clean healthy Planting materials, Soil fertility, Pest build-up Inadequate field management (desuckering, fertilizer),. Limiting factors for total yield from cropping system: Improper consideration of crop density and soil fertility use in the mixture.

Describe cropping system for second most important production system from establishment to end of year 3

• Manual Field clearing leaving few trees/shrubs that are not disturbing followed by trash burning.

• Perennial plantain planted, followed by AFC. Short term crops (maize or melon) comes in.

• Weeding and fertilizer application (usually not intended for cassava)

• Maize and/or melon harvested, then cassava.

• In the second year cocoyam may be planted and harvested.

• Propping done at fruiting and harvesting done at fruit maturity.

• Plantain harvested the second year, excess sucker transferred to increase plant population of given out.

Describe cropping practices for second most important production system:

Year 1: Planting density of banana/plantain – average size of field: 820 -900 plant/ha Source of suckers: Purchase, Neighbours, own farm Sucker preparation practices: Only desuckering and atimes paring Associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. Cassava 2. Maize 3. Cocoyam 4. Melon 5. Vegetables Cropping practices done by men: As stated earlier Cropping practices done by women: As stated earlier Who sells banana/plantain? Farmer, whole-salers, retailers What market? As stated earlier

Year 2: Replanting of banana/plantain: Banana/plantain yield: bunches/hectare, kg/bunch Additional associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. 2. Cropping practices done by men: Cropping practices done by women:

Year 3: Replanting of banana/plantain: Banana/plantain yield: bunches/hectare, kg/bunch Additional associated crops including months in crop cycle and yield: 1. 2. Cropping practices done by men: Cropping practices done by women:

Seasonal price fluctuation for bunch – farm gate

“Price/bunch”

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Seasonal distribution of bunches for one hectare crop field

“bunches harvested per month”

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

- - -

Practices currently used to maintain land productivity Compost (Farm trash) Shifting cultivation/ Natural rejuvenation Limiting factors for banana/plantain yield: Over reliance on natural rainfall, Paucity of clean healthy Planting materials, Soil fertility, Pest build-up Limiting factors for total yield from cropping system: As stated above.

Status of cropping systems research:

Is cropping systems research being done in your country? Yes Organizations/scientists: Many Research Institutes and Universities work on different cropping systems, but the long gestation period of Musa cropping systems and inadequate facilities limit the extent in many institutes. Focus of work: Crop combinations, Economic advantages. Recent publications: Aiyelaagbe I.O.O. and Kintomo A.A. 2013: component interactions and productivity of plantain intercropped with fluted pumpkin. Acta Horticulturae 1007: 603-609.

Akinyemi, S. O. S., Aiyelaagbe, I. O.O. and Akyeampong, E. (2010). Plantain (Musa spp.) cultivation in Nigeria: A Review of Its Production, Marketing and Research in the last two Decades. Acta Horticulturae 879: 211 – 218.

Aiyelaagbe, I.O.O.; Odeleye, O.M.O And Akinyemi, S.O.S. (2001). Component Interactions And Productivity Response Of Plantain-cocoyam Mixture In South-western Nigeria. Nigerian Journal Of Horticulture. 5: 83-87. Akinyemi S.O.S. And H. Tijani-eniola (2001): Intercropping Plantain Systems With Crops Of Different Maturities And Population Densities. Tropical Agriculture Journal (Trinidad And Tobago). 79 (2): 71-75. Akinyemi S.O.S. And H. Tijani-eniola (2000): Effects Of Cassava Density On Productivity Of Plantain And Cassava Intercropping System. Fruits (France). 55: 17-23.

Status of cropping systems intensification: other

Is cropping systems intensification with plantains being promoted by government or private sector? Yes, by both Organizations/scientists: Federal Ministry of Agriculture, ADP’s and Ministries of Agriculture Focus of work: Supplying of Planting material (Cocoa)

Thank you All for your Attention