Author(s) :

Bangata Bitha Nyi Mbunzu Jean Christia, Ngwibaba Ansuele Francklin , Bitha Gende Syntyche, Mobambo Kitume Ngongo Patrick.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

In the context of climate change, the silvobanana system is a favourable response to the problems of intensifying banana production and preserving forests, especially in regions where deforestation is increasing. Objectives: To improve banana production on the Batéké plateau. Five banana cultivars were intercropped with four two-year-old tree legumes. After harvesting of the first cycle, the reproductive plants were replaced by successor shoots. Multivariate analyses, particularly principal component analysis (PCA), were used to clearly demonstrate the correlation between the banana-tree legume associations and the characteristics of the successor shoots of the banana cultivars evaluated. With regard to the results obtained, it should be noted that the associations formed with the tree legumes Pterocarpus indicus Wild, Milletia laurentii and Inga edulis Mart proved to be the most successful in the second banana crop cycle, namely the associations: Nsikumuna with Pterocarpus indicus Wild; followed by Nsikumuna with Milletia laurentii and Gros Michel with Pterocarpus indicus Wild. These combinations can be recommended to growers in order to make banana production in the Batéké plateau profitable and sustainable. However, counter-performance was observed more in associations formed with the species Acacia auriculiformus Benth. Key words: Association, tree-legumes, performance, sylvo-banana, DR Congo.

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