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Biotechnological methodologies for the Improvement of Banana Production in Eastern Africa

Biotechnological methodologies for the Improvement of Banana Production in Eastern Africa - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

The project aims to achieve increased banana productivity through developing and disseminating bananas that are resistant to biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic (drought, salinity) stresses to sustainably respond to consumer market demands. 

Project Name (full): Novel Approaches to the Improvement of Banana Production in Eastern Africa - the application of biotechnological methodologies. 

Start and end date: 2019 to 2024 

Geographic area, countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi 

Funders: Uganda Government

Partners: National Banana Research Programme

Project Description

The Project aims at increasing productivity of banana cropping systems and increase the subsector contribution to agricultural Gross Domestic Product. This will be achieved through developing and disseminating bananas that are resistant to biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic (drought, salinity) stresses to sustainably respond to consumer market demands.  The overall objective of this project is to build human and infrastructural capacity for the development and deployment of biotechnological tools and products critical for the transformation of Uganda’s agricultural economy. This has been achieved using novel biotechnological approaches to develop resistance to pests (weevils, nematodes) and diseases (Fusarium wilt) in the dessert and East African highland bananas.

The project is in Phase IV whose objectives include;

  • to evaluate and release nematode and weevil resistant banana products and a tracking system
  • to generate new technologies (genes) for Fusarium wilt resistance and develop resistant dessert bananas. 

Key activities

The project objectives are being achieved through the following activities;  

  • Transgenic products in the confined field trial (CFT) under field-testing for resistance to weevils and nematodes for advancement to de-regulation and release, 
  • Gene mining for useful traits for now and the future  
  • Building capacity for genome editing  
  • Management and conservation of the regional germplasm collection at Mbarara. 

Tissue culture lab at National Agricultural Research Laboratories. (NARL)

The Biotech Project steering committee meeting in January 2024.

Biotech Project members in the field in Kawanda.

Project Outcomes 

  • Resistant Banana Varieties: The project is developing and evaluating nematode and weevil-resistant banana varieties, advancing transgenic lines for commercial release. 
  • New Biotechnological Tools: The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing platform is being explored for East African Highland Bananas along with regenerable protoplasts for genome editing and tools for drought tolerance. 
  • Germplasm Conservation: Over 504 banana genotypes are being conserved at Mbarara, with missing genotypes replanted to preserve genetic diversity. 
  • Infrastructure Development: A 750 m² tissue culture laboratory was completed at NARL, Kawanda, to enhance research and produce tissue-cultured planting materials. 
  • Capacity Building: The project supported one MSc graduate and is training two MSc and two Ph.D. students on advanced banana biotechnology, focusing on genome editing, protoplast optimization, drought tolerance, and Fusarium resistance. Stakeholder visits further strengthened skills and promoted awareness.
  • Research and Publications: Research publications addressed pest resistance and drought tolerance, enriching the field of banana biotechnology. 

Other Project Members

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Project members

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