Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1

Description

Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit and the fourth most important crop in the developing world after rice, wheat and maize. The volume reviews current production around the world and how developments in cultivation practice can be used to improve yields sustainably.

Table of contents

Part 1 Banana production and its challenges
1.The origin, domestication and dispersal of bananas: Hugo Volkaert, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand;
2.Understanding the banana industry: monoculture and beyond: Dan Koeppel, Independent Journalist and Researcher, USA;
3.Banana cultivation in Africa: W. K. Tushemereirwe and J. Kubiriba, National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Uganda;
4.Challenges and opportunities for smallholders in banana value chains: William Tinzaara, Bioversity International, Uganda; Dietmar Stoian, Bioversity International, France, Walter Ocimati, Enoch Kikulwe and Gloria Otieno, Bioversity International, Uganda; and Guy Blomme, Bioversity International, Ethiopia;

Part 2 Improving practices across the banana value chain
5.A functional approach to bunch formation in banana: D. W. Turner, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Australia; and D. J. Gibbs, Consultant, Australia;
6.Banana plant propagation methods: Sharon D. Hamill, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia;
7.Conserving banana germplasm through field genebanks: Mike Smith, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia;
8.Good agricultural practices: an end or a starting point for more sustainable banana production?: Charles Staver, Bioversity International, France;
9.Challenges in cultivation of bananas in the subtropics: Víctor Galán Saúco, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Spain;
10.Nutrition and soil management in banana cultivation: Jetse J. Stoorvogel, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Rafael A. Segura, CORBANA S.A., Costa Rica;
11.Harvesting and packaging of bananas: Juan José Aycart, Dole, Ecuador;
12.Ripening systems for bananas: Frits Popma, Popma Fruit Expertise, The Netherlands;

Part 3 Assessing and improving sustainability
13.Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of banana cultivation: Louis Bockel, Laure-Sophie Schiettecatte and Orane Debrune, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Italy;
14.Sustainable banana cultivation: from standards to multiple solutions: Sietze Vellema and Kees Jansen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands;
15.Organic banana cultivation and sustainability: Frans Wielemaker, Consultant (formerly Director of Research at Dole Fresh Fruit International), Costa Rica;