@article{Murongo:334030,
      recid = {334030},
      author = {Murongo, Marius Flarian and Ayuke, O. Frederick and Mwine,  T. Julius},
      title = {Situational analysis of abiotic and biotic factors  influencing abundance of tissue culture and non-tissue  culture bananas in smallholder farms in western Uganda},
      journal = {African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and  Development},
      address = {2022},
      year = {2022},
      abstract = {Bananas are, in Uganda primarily, grown for domestic  consumption and regional trade. Production is constrained  by several factors such as declining soil fertility, pests  and disease, and erratic rainfall. Tissue culture banana  were introduced partly to solve some of the challenges in  banana production, though uptake of such technologies by  smallholder farmers is still low. A survey on plant  parasitic nematodes, banana weevils, and selected soil  factors was done to analyse their effect on the abundance  of tissue culture banana (TCB) and non-tissue culture  banana (NTCB). Soil and banana root samples were collected  from heterogeneous on-farm orchard conditions in  smallholder farms. Composite banana root samples and  composite soil samples were collected from banana orchards  already established by farmers. A total of 1,280 genets  from 20 orchards were obtained. Composite soil samples were  analysed for pH, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and  organic matter. Endo-parasitic Helicotylenchus multinctus,  Platylenchus goodeyi, Radopholous similis and Meloidogyne  spp were isolated from the composite root samples. Banana  weevils were captured using the disc-on-stamp and  split-pseudo stem traps. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and  logistic regression were run to ascertain the relationship  between variations in biotic [Nematodes and weevils] and  abiotic [pH, K, Av.P, N, and OM] factors affecting the  abundance of the banana type. Canonical eigenvalues showed  that both biotic and abiotic variables significantly  affected the abundance of TCB and NTCB banana types.  Abundance of TCB was influenced by the banana weevil  (P<0.05) than it was by nematodes in the same farmers’  fields. Infestation with nematodes for TCB and NTCB banana  types was not different (P<0.05). The banana weevils were  significantly (P<0.05) distributed within the districts.  Relative abundances for the pH, phosphorus, potassium,  nitrogen (%), organic matter (%) within districts were  significant (P<0.05). Variations in soil pH and nitrogen  availability resulted in significant interactions (P<0.05)  that affected the abundance of the TCB types more than  their contribution to the abundance of NTCB. The awareness  that the interactions between nematodes, banana weevils,  phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and pH determine the  abundance of banana types is important in shaping the  adoption and production of the adopted banana technology.  Mitigation of acidic pH, K, Av.P, N, and OM for soil  fertility and reduction of the abundance of nematodes and  weevils below the threshold will enhance banana production  among small holder farmers in Uganda.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/334030},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.108.19745},
}