HarvestPlus final Project report on 'Identification and deployment of pVAC-rich plantain varieties'

Abstract

Plantains (Musa spp. AAB) serve as a staple for millions of people in Africa and is one of the target crops for addressing provitamin A (pVA) deficiency. This project focuses on a food-based intervention against vitamin A deficiency using pVAC (pVA carotenoid) rich plantains, and plantain hybrids combining high yield with pVAC-enriched fruits for the humid lowlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to provide information for short term intervention through dissemination of adapted pVAC dense varieties and generate information for a science-based approach to incorporate pVAC enhancement in existing plantain breeding strategies for the development of more nutritious plantain hybrids. We focus on germplasm screening to understand variation in total carotenoid and pVAC content in the IITA banana breeding germplasm collection comprising plantains, hybrids and diploid cultivars and to identify high pVAC genotypes for fast-track dissemination and (pre)breeding. This is complemented by studies to determine the changes in carotenoid content during fruit ripening and during food preparation (boiling and frying).