| Background
Matooke is a popular cooking banana that is one
of Uganda's staple foods. Matooke is grown
mostly by smallholders on plantations ranging
from 1/2 to five acres. Normally grown without
any additional inputs, yields for matooke have
declined recently due declining soil fertility,
disease, pest and poor crop husbandry.
APEP Interventions
To reverse this trend, APEP has undertaken a technology
transfer program which uses field demonstrations
as a means to increase banana productivity. APEP
has established 200 demonstration sites in nine
districts. Through these sites farmers are exposed
to appropriate technology transfer packages which
include:
-
Improved matooke crop husbandry including
mulching, sucker management and pruning
-
Use of tissue culture planting materials
-
Use of inorganic fertilizers to enhance plant
nutrition
-
Biological, cultural and chemical disease
and pest management
-
Soil and water conservation practices
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