Technological innovations to reduce agrochemicals in plantain

Development and of technologies for the phytosanitary management of plantain

Context of the story

Plantain and banana are traditionally propagated by vegetative cloning, that is, by corms or hills. This type of propagation allows the staggered multiplication of crops and the reuse of seed between one harvest and another, but the use of planting material affected by phytopathogens is the main source of disease spread. Among the most relevant are the vascular wilt or Moko of quarantine importance. The inappropriate use of the affected planting material has contributed to the spread of Moko in several countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad, Colombia, where it has devastated up to 100% of cultivated areas. with musaceae.

Objectives of the Project

The implemented initiative

1. Develop and implement fast and clean production of plantain hills.
2. Implement, through the participation of farmers, researchers and entrepreneurs, the use of compost leachate from harvest residues and other ecological practices, in the control of Sigatoka and Moko, under different production systems.
3. Validate and adjust the biological control of Weevils, with farmers and leading companies producing entomopathogens.
4. Evaluate different banana genotypes for their resistance to Weevils, Sigatoka and Moko, with criteria of adaptability, productivity and market acceptance.
5. Strengthen local capacities of farmers and technicians in new crop management strategies.

The technological solution

Development and use of technologies for the phytosanitary management of plantain, including thermal cameras for the production of hills and seedlings, identification of disease-resistant genotypes, development and use of leachates, biological controllers and low-cost bio-fertilizers that reduced the impact of agrochemicals on the environment, applying a participatory research scheme.