ASSESSING BLACK SIGATOKA RESISTANCE IN PLANTAIN VARIETIES OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Abstract

Plantain (Musa spp. AAB) holds significant agricultural and economic value, particularly in regions of West and Central Africa, Latin America, and Asia. This versatile crop, renowned for its high starch content, serves as a year-round staple for small-scale farmers. Its pivotal role in sustaining over 70 million individuals in these areas underscores its importance (Fao, 2010). Plantain commands a robust demand in both rural and urban markets, playing a vital role in household food security and serving as a primary source of livelihood for millions of producers and vendors (Nkendah and Akyeampong, 2003). Cultivation spans the humid forest and derived, moist savannah agroecosystems from Guinea Bissau in the west to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the southeast (Norgrove and Hauser, 2014). The annual production of plantain across these regions is estimated at 47.93 million tons (Fao, 2020). In Côte d’Ivoire, plantain ranks as the third most crucial starchy staple, trailing behind cassava and yam, boasting an annual output averaging 1.7 million tons of fruits. Per capita consumption in the country ranges from 80 to 120 kg annually (Thiémélé et al., 2017). Despite its socio-economic significance, the Ivorian banana sector remains largely informal, characterized by traditional varieties with modest yields, susceptible to pests and diseases, yet crucial for achieving household food security. Among the challenges, black sigatoka, a leaf spot disease incited by the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis, emerges as the most formidable impediment to plantain production in the region (Vuylsteke et al., 1993).