S21 - Session O1 - Towards organic production of plantain banana: striking a balance between agronomic performance, economic viability and environment

Authors: Pauline Pugeaux *, Thierry Lescot, Christian Chabrier, Raphaël Achard, Sylvain Depigny

In several West and Central African countries, plantain banana production needs improvements to contribute to food safety and sovereignty. Plantain banana is usually cultivated in intercropping systems with either annual crops or cocoa, with minimal chemical input use. Some plantain banana farmers have adopted use of monoculture systems with high plant densities and high levels of chemical inputs emulating the dessert banana production systems. This disregards the well-known negative impacts of the practices on human and environmental health. On the other hand, dessert banana producers are currently moving towards more agroecological practices. Can we intensify plantain banana production at a plot level, without increasing the levels of chemical inputs? We established an experiment to determine the feasibility, agronomic and economic performances of a pesticide-free plantain-based cropping system. This Intensification of Plantain through Agroecology experiment was set up in a producer's farm in Ivory Coast, to answer his objectives and constraints. Three plots are studied on the same farm, all three with highly productive monoculture with a high density of a commercial and appreciated indigenous variety, a layout to facilitate cultural practices, irrigation to ensure a continuous market supply and a combination of organic and synthetic fertiliser use. The treatments included no pesticide application but a set of agroecological practices to limit biotic stresses, two different fertilisation levels and three plants density. The experiment is ongoing, the economical and agronomical results are currently available from the plantation to the flowering. The next phase will be to set up a new experiment with higher organic fertilizer to minimize chemical inputs and reduce the production costs.