welcome introduction
 

So good to be a part of this forum. I am a banana enthusiat from South Eastern Nigeria in West Africa. I like to try my hand in many varieties of bananas and plantain. I am here to share experience and add to my knowledge of the plant. Our greatest limitations here in producing bananas and plantain is usually prolonged dry season and effect of wind storm which usually destroy our plantation at the onset or rainy season . I will really appreciate contributions towards overcoming this limitations.
Thank you very much and good to be part of the forum.
Andysage

Re: welcome introduction
 

Hello, Welcome & Good Luck.. :^)

Re: welcome introduction
 

hello andysage,

Windbreak plantings of Syzygium cumini and S. malaccensis might help against wind toppling. Artocarpus heterophyllus (jak fruit) is also very good.

Try too, to use dwarf banana & plantain varieties instead of tall varieties.

If you can, select drought resistant ABB cooking bananas and plantain hybrids.

IIT Nigeria should offer help. Thery have done spectacular work on breeding plantains and bananas. Their address is: PMB 5320, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. IITA's homepage is Home - Agricultural Research for Development in Africa - IITA

More contact information is at: IITA Ibadan, Nigeria - IITA

One of IITA's plantain hybrids, PITA 14 is much better than Agbagba plantains - which you might know about.

Hope this helps.

You can always contact me at shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

sincerely,

shannon

Re: welcome introduction
 

A warm and friendly welcome to you, andysage.

Re: welcome introduction
 

Andysage --- diseases such as panama and black sigatoka have been a big problem with banana and plantain production in your area. I understand that FHIA has introduce FHIA-1, the Goldfinger with much success. Is this one, or any other of their hybrids, available to you? Is the flavor of FHIA-1 acceptable with the general population?