Browsing by Author "Blomme, Guy"

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    Changes in leaf lamina shape and size during banana shoot development
    (Journal of Applied Biosciences, 1997) Blomme, Guy; Turyagyenda, Laban Frank; Soka, Geofrey; Swennen, Rony
    Bananas and plantains are grown as perennial crops, producing consecutive generations from suckers, which develop on the main plant. Sucker development consists of distinct physiological stages: peeper (small sucker appearing just above the ground and bearing scale leaves only), sword sucker (large sucker with lanceolate type leaves) and maiden sucker (large non-fruiting sucker with foliage leaves). Peepers, sword suckers and maiden suckers represent a distinct physiological stage in sucker growth with distinct morphological features, the most important being the leaf lamina size. The aim of this study was to assess changes in leaf lamina shape during the growth of lateral shoots and to determine how fast suckers from different genotypes develop broad leaves to manufacture their own food through photosynthesis, and thus reducing their dependency on the parent for nutrients. This can be achieved by determining how fast the sucker leaf length: width ratio halves (i.e. the RL50 value).
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    The Efficiency of Air-Drying Pared Corms of Banana Suckers in Reducing the Risk of Soil-Mediated Xanthomonas Wilt Infections in Ethiopia
    (Tree and Forestry Science and Biotechnology, 2010) Shehabu, Meki; Addis, Temesgen; Turyagyenda, Laban Frank; Alemu, Tamiru; Mekonen, Shiferaw; Blomme, Guy
    Xanthomonas wilt caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum is one of the most threatening constraints to banana and enset (Ensete ventricosum) production in Ethiopia. The disease was unknown outside of Ethiopia until it was reported in Uganda in 2001. Since then the disease has spread to many East and Central African countries. Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum can only enter a plant through mechanical wounds (e.g. inflicted by garden tools) or natural wounds (e.g. male flower scars). Corm paring is a good practice for the control of weevils and nematode pests in banana but when the practice is conducted and corms planted in Xanthomonas wilt infected fields, Xcm infection occurs. As a solution, curing of corms before planting has been recommended. It is however not known if the recommendation could be adopted in Ethiopia. The study was therefore initiated to evaluate the efficiency of air-drying pared corms of banana suckers in reducing the risk of soil-mediated Xanthomonas Wilt infections under conditions prevailing in Ethiopia. Four treatments, i.e., pared and immediately planted, non-pared and immediately planted, pared and air-dried for three days and non-pared and air-dried for three days were tested for ‘Pisang Awak’ and a ‘Matooke’ genotype in a pot experiment. A total of 30 plants were used for each of the treatments per genotype. The disease incidence was recorded during six months after planting. Samples from dead or wilted plants were collected and plated on a YPSA medium at 28°C to confirm whether the disease symptoms were due to Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum. Paring and air-drying of banana suckers before planting increased soil-mediated Xanthomonas wilt infections. To reduce soil-mediated Xanthomonas infections, suckers should be carefully uprooted to avoid wounding and the uprooted suckers should be planted immediately after uprooting.
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    Fine-tuning banana Xanthomonas wilt control options over the past decade in East and Central Africa
    (European journal of plant pathology, 2014) Blomme, Guy; Jacobsen, Kim; Ocimati, Walter; Beed, Fen; Ntamwira, Jules; Sivirihauma, Charles; Ssekiwoko, Fred; Nakato, Valentine; Kubiriba, Jerome; Tripathi, Leena; Tinzaara, William; Mbolela, Flory; Lutete, Lambert; Karamura, Eldad
    Xanthomonas wilt, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum has, since 2001, become the most important and widespread disease of Musa in East and Central Africa. Over the past decade, new research findings and especially feedback from smallscale farmers have helped in fine-tuning Xanthomonas wilt control options. During the initial years of the Xanthomonas wilt epidemic in East Africa, the complete uprooting of diseased mats and the burning or burying of plant debris was advocated as part of a control package which included the use of clean garden tools and early removal of male buds to prevent insect vector transmission. Uprooting a complete mat (i.e. the mother plant and a varying number of lateral shoots) is understandably time-consuming and labour intensive and becomes very cumbersome when a large number of diseased mats have to be removed. Recent research findings suggest that Xcm bacteria do not colonize all lateral shoots (i.e. incomplete systemicity occurs) and even when present that this does not necessarily lead to symptom expression and disease.
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    Mapping the vulnerability of banana production landscapes in Uganda to banana bunchy top disease
    (Frontiers Media S.A, 2024-09) Ocimati, Walter;; Ogwal, Geofrey;; Tazuba, Anthony Fredrick ;; Kubiriba, Jerome;; Tugume, Joab;; Erima, Rockefeller;; Okurut, Wilson;; Mahuku, George;; Kutunga, David;; Blomme, Guy
    IntroductionBanana bunchy top disease (BBTD) caused by banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) poses a significant threat to Uganda’s food and income security.MethodsTo map BBTD spread and inform its management, a delimiting survey was undertaken covering the high-risk zones bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the west, Rwanda and Tanzania in the south, and South Sudan in the north. BBTD is endemic in the DR Congo and present in Tanzania and Rwanda. The survey and environmental data were then used to map the vulnerability of Uganda’s banana landscapes.Results and discussionBBTD was only confirmed on 9% of sampled farms in north- and midwestern Uganda, with yield losses of 75% to 100%. Farmers observed BBTD over a 0.5–4.4-year period, suggesting a delayed detection. Suckers were the predominate planting materials used, increasing the risk of disease spread. Landscape suitability for BBTD was influenced by precipitation of the driest month, banana presence in 2016, land surface temperature difference (LSTD), the interaction between wind speed and LSTD, isothermality, wind speed, and the normalized difference vegetation index. These variables affect either or both the virus and aphid vector populations. Altitude did not influence the model, possibly due to disease introduction at mid to high altitudes through infected planting materials. The low-lying zones (around River Nile and Lakes Albert, Edward, and Victoria) are highly vulnerable. BBTD risk was low in northeastern Uganda with low banana production. The prediction map shows some suitable landscapes in the southwest that can expose this major banana production zone to BBTD, necessitating proactive measures.
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    Pro-vitamin A carotenoid content of 48 plantain (Musa AAB genome) cultivars sourced from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
    (Theoretical medicine and bioethics, 2008) Blomme, Guy; Ocimati, Walter; Nabuuma, Deborah; Sivirihauma, Charles; Davey, Mark; Buah, Stephen; Bergh, Inge Van den; Vutseme, Lusenge; Bahati, Liliane; Ekesa, Beatrice
    Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Unlike in developed countries, where the main source of vitamin A comes from meat, the diet of poor populations in SSA is largely plant based. It is thus important to identify local / popular plants with higher vitamin A content for combating VAD. Banana (including plantains) is an important staple food crop in this region. The identification and promotion of vitamin A-rich banana cultivars could contribute significantly to the alleviation of VAD in areas heavily dependent on the crop.We assessed pro-vitamin A carotenoid (pVACs) content in the fruit pulp of 48 local plantains from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, to identify cultivars that could help reduce VAD, especially among young children and women of reproductive age. RESULTS: Mean pVACs content varied from 175–1756 𝛍g/100 gfw in ripe fruits. Significant increases (P <0.001) in total pVACs content occurred after ripening in all cultivars except ‘UCG II’. Retinol activity equivalents (RAE) in ripe fruits ranged from 12–113 𝛍g/100 gfw. Fifteen plantain cultivars, including ‘Adili II’, ‘Nzirabahima’, ‘Mayayi’, ‘Buembe’,and‘Sanza Tatu’ (associated with RAE values of 44 𝛍g/100 gfw and above) can be considered as good sources of pVACs. Modest consumption (250 or 500 gfw) of the fruit pulp of the five best plantain cultivars at ripening stage 5meets between 39–71% and 44–81% of vitamin A dietary reference intake (DRI) respectively, for children below 5 years old and women of reproductive age. CONCLUSION: The 15 best plantain cultivars (especially the top 5) could potentially be introduced / promoted as alternative sources of pro-vitamin A in banana-dependent communities, and help to reduce cases of VAD substantially.
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    Root And Shoot Development During the Plant Crop and The First Ratoon of Banana and Plantain (Musa Spp.) With Implications for Perennial Cultivation on Degraded Ultisols in South-Eastern Nigeria.
    (ACORBAT, 2006) Blomme, Guy; Swennen, Rony; Turyagyenda, Laban Frank; Tenkouano, Abdou
    The effect of cycle on root system and shoot development was studied for two crop cycles (plant crop and first ratoon). The study revealed that shoot and root system development declined from the plant crop to the first ratoon for plants grown on degraded Ultisols in south-eastern Nigeria.