Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1

"The book provides an excellent overview of banana cultivation across the world and how the adaptation and adoption of inter-disciplinary management strategies ensure sustainable production…a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on which future research strategies can be built." ISHS - Chronica Horticulturae

This volume reviews key recent research on improving banana cultivation. Part 1 reviews current challenges in banana production. Part 2 surveys ways of improving cultivation practice across the value chain, from propagation to harvesting, packaging and ripening. The final part of the book assesses ways of measuring and improving the environmental impact of banana cultivation.

Highlights of the book include: the latest research on banana domestication and genetic diversity; new research on the limitations of current good agricultural practices and how areas such as soil health can be improved; and summaries of best practice in neglected but critical areas such as harvesting and ripening operations.

Drawing on an international range of expertise, the collection will be a standard reference for the banana research community as well as banana producers.

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;