‘Kiwangaazi’ (syn ‘KABANA 6H’) Black Sigatoka Nematode and Banana Weevil Tolerant ‘Matooke’ Hybrid Banana Released in Uganda

Abstract

This article presents the attributes of the first East African highland banana hybrid, 'Kiwangaazi' (Fig. 1), which was recently selected, released, and added to the national cultivar list in Uganda. The 'matooke' hybrid 'Kiwangaazi' was conventionally bred at Kawanda by crossing the tetraploid hybrid '1201k-1' ('Nakawere' AAA • 'Calcutta4' AA) with the improved diploid 'SH3217' AA. The main target was black Sigatoka resistance, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis, ranked as the most important constraint to the production of the East African highland bananas, especially in the low lands (covering most of central and eastern Uganda). 'Kiwangaazi', together with other hybrids was evaluated for black Sigatoka response, nematode and weevil damage, yield, and consumer acceptability. The cultivar was evaluated under the code 'M9', and released by the national variety release committee as 'KABANA 6H'. The name 'Kiwangaazi' was coined by farmers who participated in the on-farm evaluation studies. In the local language (Luganda), 'Kiwangaazi' means ''long lasting.'' Due to high pest and disease pressure, banana plantations can only last for 3-5 years, especially in central and eastern Uganda. However, due to its pests and disease tolerance, farmers observed that 'M9' plants remain vigorous after 5 years, hence the name 'Kiwangaazi'. Description

Crossbreeding East African Highland Bananas: Lessons Learnt Relevant to the Botany of the Crop After 21 Years of Genetic Enhancement

“…Out of the 27 NARITA cultivars, NARITA 7 was the first banana cultivar bred from the East African highland banana breeding program to be released in Uganda. Its release name is “KABANA 6H” and evaluation code name “M9,” also nicknamed “Kiwangaazi” by farmers, which means “long-lasting” due to its long plantation life (Nowakunda et al, 2015). It was bred by crossing “1201K-1” (female parent) with “SH3217” (male parent).…”

Assessing New Banana Genotypes for Relevant Traits: Implication for Variety Selection

“…cultivars "Kabana 6H" and "Mbwazirume" were selected based on their predominance in cultivation as improved and landrace cultivars, respectively. In addition "Kabana 6H" is a black-Sigatoka-resistant improved cultivar [12] whereas "Mbwazirume" is a most farmer-preferred landrace cultivar due to its superior food quality attributes (good taste, aromatic, good mouth feel, golden yellow colour) but susceptible to black Sigatoka.…”

“…The number of years that banana plantations continue to be productive in some parts of Uganda, especially the central region, has been reduced to only five years compared to 50 years of plantation productivity in the past. The leading factors responsible for the decline in yield and productivity life are largely due to susceptibility of local cultivars to pests [11], especially banana weevils and nematodes; and diseases, particularly black Sigatoka [12] [13] [14].…”

Reassessing the Cost-Effectiveness of High-Provitamin A Bananas to Reduce Vitamin A Deficiency in Uganda

“…NARO developed a biofortified EAHB cultivar, genetically modified (GM) to be rich in vitamin A, that is analogous to a traditional cooking banana (Paul et al, 2018). In addition to being HpVA, the hybrid has resistance to pests and diseases (black sigatoka nematode and banana weevil) (Nowakunda et al, 2015), which would likely be an important factor driving up its adoption, in particular in parts of Uganda where pests and diseases are a problem. On the other hand, this cultivar was found to have slightly lower than traditional matooke varieties taste scores following evaluations (Akankwasa et al, 2013), which would likely cause a negative effect on the adoption rates.…”