Research Report No. 155Research Report 150, 2006.
Research at a Glance 19-26, 2006.
Research at a Glance 13-18, 2005.
2020 Vision Focus 12, 2004.
This report assesses the impact on smallholder farmers of technology options developed by Uganda's National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) to improve the productivity of the East African highland banana, a major crop in Uganda and Tanzania. The contributors survey an array of options either currently practiced or under development, including improved soil fertility management practices, conventional banana improvement, and transgenic banana cultivars. Their survey produces a number of findings with important implications for banana production: a recently developed banana hybrid adopted in Tanzania reduced the vulnerability of Tanzanian households to yield losses from pests and disease; a strong network of social ties among farmers facilitates the spread of best soil fertility management practices through farmer-to-farmer exchange; and transgenic bananas currently being developed could have pro-poor impact. Drawing on simulations of the economic benefits of these and other technology options, the contributors conclude that the current strategy endorsed by NARO, of combining conventional and transgenic approaches to mitigate the biotic pressures that cause major economic losses, is essential for sustaining banana production systems. The report serves as a valuable baseline for researchers and others interested in measuring the effectiveness of crop improvement programs.
Melinda Smale is a senior research fellow in IFPRI's Environment and Production Technology Division.
Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe was program leader of the National Banana Research Programme of Uganda's National Agricultural Research Organization at the time this research was conducted.
The abstract and report are available for download in PDF format as an entire document or by chapter.
- Full Report
- Abstract
- Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, Foreword, Acknowledgments, Summary, and Acronyms and Abbreviations
- I. Research Methods
- Chapter 1: Assessing the Impact of Technical Innovations in African AgricultureMelinda Smale
- Chapter 2: Elements of the Conceptual Framework and Sample Survey DesignMelinda Smale, Svetlana Edmeades, Stanley Wood, and Robert Kalyebara
- II. Research Context
- Chapter 3: Overview of the Banana Economy in the Lake Victoria Regions of Uganda and TanzaniaRobert Kalyebara, Jackson M. Nkuba, Mgenzi Said Ramadhan Byabachwezi, Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe, and Svetlana Edmeades
- Chapter 4: Development and Dissemination of Improved Banana Cultivars and Management Practices in Uganda and TanzaniaEnoch Mutebi Kikulwe, Kephas Nowakunda, Mgenzi Said Ramadhan Byabachwezi, Jackson M. Nkuba, Josephine Namaganda, David Talengera, Enid Katungi, and Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe
- Chapter 5: Characteristics of Banana-Growing Households and Banana Cultivars in Uganda and TanzaniaSvetlana Edmeades, Melinda Smale, Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe, Jackson M. Nkuba, and Mgenzi Said Ramadhan Byabachwezi
- III. Economic Assessment of Technology Adoption and Impact
- Chapter 6: A Trait-Based Model of the Potential Demand for Transgenic Banana Cultivars in UgandaSvetlana Edmeades and Melinda Smale
- Chapter 7: Social Capital and Soil Fertility Management in the Banana Production Systems of UgandaEnid Katungi, Melinda Smale, Charles Machethe, and Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe
- Chapter 8: Determinants of Banana Productivity and Technical Efficiency in UgandaFredrick Bagamba, Ruerd Ruben, and Mariana Rufino
- Chapter 9: Use of Hybrid Cultivars in Kagera Region, Tanzania, and Their ImpactSvetlana Edmeades, Jackson M. Nkuba, and Melinda Smale
- Chapter 10: Assessing the Potential Impact of Selected Technologies on the Banana Industry in UgandaRobert Kalyebara, Stanley Wood, and Pamela Nahamya Abodi
- IV. Conclusions
- Chapter 11: Conclusions and Implications for Research PolicyMelinda Smale, Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe, Pamela Nahamya Abodi, Fredrick Bagamba, Mgenzi Said Ramadhan Byabachwezi, Svetlana Edmeades, Robert Kalyebara, Enid Katungi, Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe, Jackson M. Nkuba, and Stanley Wood
- Appendix A: Banana Taxonomy for UgandaSvetlana Edmeades and Deborah Karamura
- Appendix B: Banana Taxonomy for TanzaniaSvetlana Edmeades and Deborah Karamura
- Appendix C: Use of Improved Banana Varieties by Village in UgandaEnoch Mutebi Kikulwe
- Appendix D: Details of Sample Survey DesignMelinda Smale, Pamela Nahamya Abodi, Ingrid Rhinehart, Svetlana Edmeades, Mgenzi Said Ramadhan Byabachwezi, Charles A. Eledu, Kephas Nowakunda, and Stanley Wood
- Appendix E: Village Social Structure in UgandaEnid Katungi
- List of Principal Authors and Contributors
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