Banana Breeding : Progress and Challenges

With the current world population growth of 1.2%, the earth can expect to house 9-10 billion people by 2050. Food production, too, must increase to accommodate these numbers. Easy growing, high calorie, nutritious foods, such as bananas are the top priority as a solution to this imminent problem.

The first comprehensive compendium on bananas in recent years, Banana Breeding: Progress and Challenges provides in-depth coverage of all aspects of banana breeding and genetics, including biotechnology. A wide-ranging compilation of chapters by various experts, the book begins with a chapter on the general plant morphology of Musa. It continues with chapters such as Evolution and Genetic Relationships in Bananas and Plantains, Genetic Resources for Banana Improvement, Genomes, Cytogenetics, Flow Cytometry of Musa, and Genetics of Important Traits in Musa as well as two chapters that cover the major diseases and pests of banana.

The central focus of the book is encompassed in chapters such as Reproductive Biology, Breeding Techniques, Mutations and Cultivar Development of Banana, Biotechnology in Musa Improvement, and Genotype by Environment Interaction and Musa Improvement. The latter chapter offers tools for selecting both narrowly adapted and broadly adapted cultivars. The chapters on quality improvement of cultivated Musa and postharvest processed products provide researchers and teachers with information to improve quality aspects of banana along with information on how to reduce postharvest losses.

Michael Pillay, Ph.D. is an associate professor at Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.

Abdou Tenkouano, Ph.D. is a counselor at the Research for Development Council at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Croydon, United Kingdom.