Evaluation of the productivity of five banana cultivars associated with legume trees in Kinshasa (RDC)

Abstract

The objective of this work was to improve banana production under the conditions of the Batéké plateau and aimed at comparing different leguminous species associations with five banana cultivars, in order to identify the best combination to recommend to producers in the silvo-banana system. Following the bifactorial design (two factors : Banana cultivars and leguminous species), we alternately associated five banana cultivars [one dessert banana cultivar (AAA), Gros Michel and four plantain cultivars (AAB) including Bubi, Diyimba, Ndongila and Nsikumunaquatre] with four tree legumes (Milletia laurentii, Acacia auriculiformis Benth, Inga edulis Mart and Pterocarpus acuminatus), planted one year prior to the establishment of the banana trees. With regard to the results obtained with the sylvo-banana systems studied, it is worth noting that the Nsikumuna - Pterocarpus acuminatus and Gros Michel - Milletia laurentii associations proved to be more efficient than the other associations, especially those formed with the leguminous plants Inga edulis and Acacia auriculiformis, where the weakest results were remarkably obtained. Thus, these first combinations can be recommended to the producers of Kinshasa and its surroundings, in order to make banana production in the Batéké plateau more profitable.

 Keywords: Banana, Tree legumes, Agroecosystem, Bifactorial, Kinshasa