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Banana

In the field for musa

Field genebank for banana

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Field genebank for banana

Contributors to this page: Bioversity International, France (Nicolas Roux), Bioversity International, Ethiopia (Michael Bolton, Alexandra Jorge); CIRAD, France (Jean-Pierre Horry); IITA, Nigeria (Dominique Dumet).

When field banks are used

Banana field collection (photo: Bioversity)

Many important varieties of field, horticultural and forestry species, including banana, are either difficult or impossible to conserve as seeds (i.e. no seeds are formed or if formed, the seeds are recalcitrant) or reproduce vegetatively. Hence they can be conserved as growing plants in field genebanks or in vitro (in tissue culture or cryo banks).

Banana stored in field genebanks have a lower risk of loosing genetic integrity (due to genetic drift) if the mother plants are maintained for many years and are readily available for study and use. However, bananas maintained in field genebanks are considerably more exposed to physical risks (climate, diseases, pests) and costs are higher for storage (labour, inputs and space) than in vitro genebanks. This balance must be considered when taking the decision to establish a field genebank for banana if other options are also possible.

Advantages of field genebanks

Material can be evaluated and characterized while being conserved.
Genotypes that commonly produce variants can be more easily identified and rogued out in the field than in vitro.
Lower risk of loosing genetic integrity.
Easy access for research and utilization (distribution).
Establishment and maintenance requires limited technology.

Disadvantages of field genebanks

Materials are susceptible to pests, diseases, adverse weather, theft and vandalism.
Involves large areas of land, but even then genetic diversity is likely to be restricted.
High maintenance costs (labour, inputs and space).
Slow multiplication of material for distribution.

General principles

Defining objectives (Reed et al. 2004)

Before establishment any field collection a clear strategy regarding the objectives for collecting and maintenance should be defined:

Acquisition policy.
Range of diversity to be conserved.
Intended functions of the genebank (e.g. whether it will be engaged in characterization and evaluation, whether it will be involved in breeding, whether it will conduct research on taxonomy, management practices or others).

It is very important to define clear purposes for the field banks as what may be a suitable practice for meeting one objective may be less suitable for another. For example, evaluation may require a greater number of plants or a special field layout suitable for replicated experimental designs.

The characterization is recommended in a collection without a particular experimental design.

Important considerations (Engelmann 1999):

Isolation from farmers to avoid bush fires and contaminations.
Proximity to alternative water sources (in case of droughts).
Meet the environmental (climate, soils) requirements of the crop.
Possibility of space for rotation and expansion.
Good accessibility allows frequent monitoring.
Guarantee security to avoid theft of valuable materials.
Avoid areas prone to known diseases and pest on the same crop.
Plant in the right season.
Assure the long term maintenance of the field bank.
Plant duplicates elsewhere (either in field banks in a different location or in vitro).
Put the plants under good conditions to avoid the effects of deficiencies on the plant characteristics.

Space requirements (Tomekpe and Fondi 2008)

Banana field collections are maintained indefinitely.
It is necessary to have at least twice as much space as occupied by the collection (i.e. if a collection of 700 accessions occupies 3ha, you need to have 6ha available) to allow for fallowing and replanting (regeneration) which is essential for proper growth of accessions.
There also needs to be space for expansion of the collection.

Frequency of establishment (Tomekpe and Fondi 2008)

Banana collections should be regenerated every 4 years or so, as accumulated diseases and pests reduce plant vigour.
This also allows maintenance (re-alignment) of the planting pattern and optimal density since successor plants of banana emerge at variable distances away from the parent stand.

References and further reading

Blomme G, Swennen R, Turyagyenda LF, Tenkouano A. 2006. Root and shoot development during the plant crop and the first ratoon of banana and plantain (Musa spp.) with implications for perennial cultivation on degraded Ultisols in south-eastern Nigeria. XVII International Meeting ACORBAT: Banana: A sustainable business. Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, 15-20 October 2006. 354.

De Waele D. 2005. Book review. L.C.C.B. Ferraz and D.J.F. Brown. An introduction to nematodes: plant nematology. A student's textbook. Nematology 7 (3): 480.

De Waele D, Stoffelen R, Kestemont J. 2006. Effect of associated plant species on banana nematodes. Infomusa 15 (1-2):2-6.

Engelmann F, editor. 1999. Management of field and in vitro germplasm collections. Proceedings of a Consultation Meeting, 15-20 January 1996, CIAT, Cali, Colombia. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. 165pp.

Olaniyi MO, Speijer PR, De Waele D, Swennen R, Tenkouano A. 2006. Influence of crop management practices in two locations on plantain response to plant parasitic nematodes. Niger Delta Biologia 5 (2):1-3.

Onwueme IC, editor. 1978. Tropical Tuber Crops: Yams, Cassava, Sweet Potato and Cocoyams. Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK.

Reed BM, Engelmann F, Dulloo ME, Engels JMM. 2004. Technical guidelines for the management of field and in vitro germplasm collections. IPGRI Handbooks for Genebanks No. 7. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. 106pp. Available here.

Saad MS, Ramanatha Rao V, editors. 2001. Establishment and Management of Field Genebank, a Training Manual. IPGRI-APO, Serdang. 122pp. Available here.

Sundararaju P, Van den Bergh I, Sathiamoorthy S, De Waele D, Molina AB, Borromeo KH, (ed). 2005. Banana Nematode Management. Towards Eco-friendly approach. Proceedings of the International Training Workshop on Recent Advances for Eco Friendly Management of Nematodes in Banana. National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirapalli, India, 16-18 March 2004. INIBAP, Montpellier, France: 102 pp.

Tomekpe K, Fondi E. 2008. Regeneration guidelines: banana. In: Dulloo ME, Thormann I, Jorge MA, Hanson J, editors. Crop specific guidelines [CD-ROM]. CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme, Rome, Italy. 9pp.
Click here to open the page on regeneration guidelines for banana