Annual Report 2012 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

34 AATF Bacterial Annual Wilt-Resistant Report 2012 Banana Project
Wilfred Mushobozi
I run the Crop Bioscience Solutions (CBS) Ltd in Arusha, Tanzania. CBS is a commercial
crop biotech company that was established in 2011 with a mandate to improve farmers’
livelihoods and nutrition status through the transfer of agricultural technology. The
company has a laboratory that is involved in the production of disease free tissue culture
(TC) planting materials for crops such as banana, sweet potato, cassava, pineapple and
potato. We also provide plant disease diagnostic expertise. Under banana we are specifically
involved in mass production of TC banana plantlets, hardening and distribution. We also establish
banana mother gardens for our clients in a professional manner.
Banana happens to be an important crop in Tanzania that has the potential to contribute to
food security and income for many rural farmers. However, the crop is facing serious challenges
occasioned by diseases and pests such as fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt and nematodes among
many others. These challenges are compounded by the farming practices that farmers engage in.
Most farmers replant their farms with banana suckers from existing mother plants which simply
transfers the pests and diseases to the new sites. This results in high losses of the banana produce
which also contributes to food insecurity. Production and distribution of TC banana addresses the
above mentioned constraint.
I was privileged to attend a banana tissue culture training workshop for improved production
of clean banana plantlets through the use of micro-propagation organised by AATF in Kigali,
Rwanda from 26–29 November 2012.
Apart from the theory aspects, the training also involved a practical lab session on banana
culture initiation process. I found the training very useful. I learnt new skills in commercial mass
multiplication of TC banana especially how to reduce TC production costs. I have introduced
some of the TC production aspects I learnt at the CBS lab. We have already established an efficient
way of delivering and establishing farmers’ nurseries without any loss of semi-hardened
TC plantlets. This has contributed to efficiency and cost effectiveness in the way we do our
work.
Deploying agricultural technologies for farmers