No-Till Practices and Banana Cropping Systems:

How Mechanization Can Contribute to a

Sustainable Banana Production in the French West Indies?
Presented by Tran Quoc Hoà
CIRAD

Regional Workshop on the Role of Mechanization in Strengthening Smallholders’ Resilience through Conservation Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific
18-20 April 2018, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
 West Indies We are here!

GUADELOUPE & MARTINIQUE

• TROPICAL CLIMATE: Rainfall => from 1300 to 6000 mm, average Temperature = 28-30 °C
• Andosoils, Ferrallitic soils, Vertisoils…
 Main exporting countries (Cavendish
Banana) in 2016
Exported tons

(13e) (20e)
- Surface = 5 700 ha - Surface = 2 040 ha
- Nb Producers = 380 - Nb Producers = 190
- Exportation = 200 000 T - Exportation = 64 000 T

Latin America Sources: Cirad

INDUSTRIAL (Cavendish) BANANA ISSUES

ENVIRONMENTAL
- Decreasing soil & water pollution due to chemical inputs
- Biodiversity conservation

SOCIETY
- Reconciliation between Society & Agriculture
- Quality of life & food quality improvement

PRODUCERS
- To maintain/increase productivity and to decrease production
costs in order to generate higher profits

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

- Food security
- Better understanding of agroecological processes in order to
promote sustainable agriculture & biodiversity
 SUSTAINABLE BANANA PROJECT IN THE FWI

- Funded by EU since 2008

- Partnership between CIRAD
French Technical Institute
Banana Producers Organization

3 MAIN OBJECTIVES

- To design innovative banana cropping systems and to provide support

for their dissemination in order to reduce the use of pesticides;

- To monitor and to control emerging diseases (Black Leaf Streak);

- To create resistant banana hybrids to emerging diseases.

 Mycosphaerella fijiensis

Fongicides BLACK
SIGATOKA

Ploughing &
Herbicides Chemical fertilizers

Nematicides
DEGRADED
WEEDS SOILS
Soil erosion
Panama WEEVIL & compaction
NEMATODES BORER
TR4
Cosmopolites sordidus

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Radopholus similis Loss of

Cubense Tropical Race 4 Pratylenchus coffeae mineral nutrients
Example of conventional banana cropping system
& practices in the FWI
Banana (5 years) / Fallow / Banana (5 years)

5 years

Chemical and/or Spontaneous fallow Soil TILLAGE Planting on bare soils

mechanical destruction (6 to 12 months)

Main agronomical constraints

• Weed dissemination Soil fertility Weed pressure
• Low soil fertility improvement degradation
• Ineffective soil sanitation
 Part 1
Cover Crops : a Key Component in the
No-Till Banana Cropping Systems

Arachis pintoï+ Bananas (Guadeloupe)

 Multifunctionality of cover crops
SOIL
Protection
WEED
CONTROL SOIL
Organic
Matter

N Fixation
Nutrients SOIL
recycling Structure

SOIL
PESTS Biological
CONTROL Activity
Plant-parasitic Banana roots damages
nematodes

Bananas topple-over

Nematodes Regulation
=> 2 processes

1st - Sanitation during fallow period

• Installation of cover crops non-host of
banana nematodes;
• Allelopathic effect.
 Log du taux de multiplication

0.5
1.5

0
1
2

-2.5
-1.5
-0.5

-1

-2
Crotalaria Pal.
Digitaria Dec.
Paspalum Not.
Crotalaria Ret.
Neonotonia Wig.
Pueraria Pha.
Riz SBT 1
Crotalaria Zan.
Acacia Aur.
Moringa
Cajanus C. Guad

Crotalaria sp.
Crotalaria Jun.
Tagetes Pat.
Crotalaria Spe.
Ricinus Com.
Impatiens
Neem
NON-Host Species

Gliricidia Sep.
Brachiaria Dec.
Eleusine Cor.
Sésame Laos cc
Cynodon Dac.
Riz SBT 175
Macroptilium Atr.
Panicum Max.
Brachiaria Ruz.
Sésame Laos cm
Arachis P. Guad
Axonopus Aff.
Stylosanthes Gui.
Riz IRAT 177
Dolichos Lab.
Centrosema Pas.
Sesbania Ser.
Cajanus kaki 1
Macroptilona axilaire
Arachis P. Amar
Vigna Ing. Mond
Sarrasin
Multiplication rate of nematodes

Host Species

Sorgho papetier
Maïs Cristal
Vigna Ing. Dav
Vigna Ing. CNC
Sorgho Musl Bal
Vigna Ing. U462
Sorgho BF80
Cajanus C. Mand
(Radopholus Similis) according to species

Dorel et al. 2016

Vigna Ing. SPLM

Producers use Crotalaria sp. during fallow period for the biological nematodes control
2nd - Enhancing nematodes predation

Comparison of free-living soil nematodes communities :

VS

Bare soil
with cover crops
 BS: Bare Soil
Nb. / 100g of soil SC: Spontaneous Cover
500 PN: Paspalum N.
Carnivores & omnivores
NW: Neonotonia W.
400
PP: Pueraria P.
300
SG: Stylosanthes G.

200

100

0 Djigal et al. 2011

BS SC PN NW PP SG

 Cover crops increase predators populations

=> Positive effect on biodiversity and food webs

Cosmopolites Rhizome damages Bananas topple-over
sordidus

Weevil borer control

In soil litter, general predators contribute to
weevil borer control:
• Ants
• Earwigs…

Camponotus E. caraibea

Lycosidae
 Captures of ants
Solenopsis geminata

Bare soil
B. decumbens + C. dactylon cover

5 times more
ants in plots
with cover
Site 1 Site 2 crops

Cover crops increase predators abundance

Mollot et al. 2012
 Predation
Predation rate
rate by of weevil borer eggs by ants
ants

Bare Soil
B. decumbens + C. dactylon cover

2 to 7 times
more
predation in
plots with
Site 1 Site 2
cover crops
Predators increase the predation rate
of weevil borer eggs
Mollot et al. 2012
 Weevil borer control by Brachiaria decumbens (Guadeloupe)

+ pheromone traps
Which specie is the best for banana?
Soil
protection

Weed
control
? Soil
Organic
Matter

N fixation
Nutrients Soil
recycling structure

Soil
Nematodes Biological
control activity
 ALL OF THEM!
ADD species according to their COMPLEMENTARITY
=> Increase the functional biodiversity
Soil
protection

Weed Soil
control Organic
Matter

N fixation
Nutrients Soil
recycling structure

Soil
Nematodes Biological
control activity
Brachiaria R. + Crotalaria S. during fallow period (Guadeloupe)
 Crotalaria Brachiaria

• ORGANIC NEMATICIDE * High vegetal biomass production (C, SOM)

• N Fixation * Biological ploughing
• Drainage (Tap Root System) * Nutrients recycling (biological pump)
 Various cover crops-based banana cropping systems in the FWI

Conventional 1- Natural fallow

Cropping 2- Banana on bare soils
systems
Innovative
CS I
1- Natural fallow
2- Banana on bare soils
3- Banana + perennial
LIVING COVER*
* A. pintoï+ Crotalaria sp.
* D. heterocarpon + Crotalaria sp.
* Arachis+Desmodium+Sesbania
* C. cajan + Desmodium
* N. wightii, P. phaseolides
* Drymaria cordata…
- +
Innovative
CS II
Innovative
CS III Innovative
1- Improved fallow*
CS IV
* Brachiaria sp.+ Crotalaria sp.
* Brachiaria sp. + C. cajan 1- Improved fallow*
* Annual : C. pascuorum,
1- Improved fallow*
* Brachiaria sp. + S. guianensis
S. guianenesis * Brachiara sp. + Annual
2- Banana Direct * Perennial : N. wightii, P. legumes
Planting on MULCH* phaseolides, A. pintoï+ 2- Second perennial
Crotalaria sp., D. heterocarpon
cover* on MULCH
+ Sesbania sp….
* Perennial legumes (Arachis,
2- Banana Direct Desmodium…) + Annual
Planting on LIVING legumes (Crotalaria, Sesbania,
COVER* Cajanus, Centrosema…)
3- Banana Direct Planting
on LIVING COVER*
Complexity gradient
 Various cover crops-based banana cropping systems in the FWI

Planting on bare soils

Conventional CS

Chemical and/or mechanical Spontaneous fallow Soil tillage

destruction

ICS II

Improved fallow
(Soil decompaction) MULCH Direct Planting of
(Brachiaria sp. +
Field leveling Banana on MULCH
Annual legumes)
ICS II
- Good soil fertility improvement and soil sanitation
-Soils are protected BEFORE banana plantation
-Easy to do
- After planting banana, mulch degradation leads to weed pressure increase
- Herbicides are required to control perennial grasses (Brachiaria)
 Various cover crops-based banana cropping systems in the FWI

ICS II

Improved fallow (perenniel and

shade tolerant legumes)
ICS III

Direct Planting of Management of the

ICS III Banana on Living Cover living cover crop
- N supply, efficient weeds control
- Soils are protected before plantation
- Cover crops can be managed by mowing or rolling

- Biological tillage with legumes less efficient during fallow period

- Mechanization/labor required because of the cover crop management
Various cover crops-based banana cropping systems in the FWI

Improved fallow
(Brachiaria sp. + Direct seeding of 2nd
ICS IV
Annual legumes) MULCH cover crop (perennial
legumes) on MULCH

Living Cover Banana Direct Planting

management on MULCH + Living Cover
ICS IV
- Soils are permanently covered (before and after banana plantation)
- Efficient pests control (nematodes, weeds…), continuous soil fertility improvement
- High technicity and Know-How required
- Mechanization is highly required to sow and manage cover crops
 Part 2:
Adoption of No-Till
Banana Cropping Systems
Monitoring : Adoption of No-Till
Banana Cropping Systems

• Annual surveys (from 2012) among 570

banana producers in FWI for basic data

• Qualitative interviews (2017): perceptions

of the advantages and limits of cover
crops in banana cropping systems,
constraints for adoption and
dissemination, etc. => 109 interviews
 Area with Cover Crops in the FWI Results
15% of
1200
Surface with spontaneous & selected total area
1000
species 11% • Early stage of agro-ecological
Surface with "exogenous" species
transition;
800 580
7% 7% 570

600
6% • Highest adoption levels are
253
315 observed among largest-scale
400 281
farms (access to
200
337
430 436
505
mechanization);
275

0
2012 2013 2014 2015 216
2016 • Adequate approach required
in order to accompany
Number of farmers using Cover Crops in the FWI medium and small-scale
140
farms.
120

100

80

60
24%
21% of total
17%
40
15% producers
12%
20

0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Source: UGPBAN, IT2, CIRAD
Results based on 109 interviews Producers ‘ Point of View…

17% • For the « No-Till » producers

39% What are the main constraints for extension?
Farm organization (Labor Avaibality, Calendar, production costs)
Lack of adapted equipments for cover crops management
44% Topography

• For the “NON-Users”

Why don’t you adopt these systems?
17% 48%
Farm organization (Labor Avaibality, production costs…)

Technical issues (lack of knowledge, lack of equipment…)

19%
Topography

16% No interest (not convinced, negative representation…)

Source: CIRAD, IT2

4 years ago… PRODUCERS

RESEARCH

BANANA
SERVICES
CENTER

DEVELOPMENT

SERVICES
PROVIDERS

TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TRAINING

REQUESTS SEEDS PROVIDERS

SOWING OPERATIONS

SEEDS REQUEST LACK OF ORGANISATION…

 Since 2016

OPERATION
PRODUCERS

Task Force
Unit BANANA
RESEARCH SERVICES
SERVICES DEVELOPMENT CENTER
PROVIDERS

SEEDS PROVIDERS

• Establishment of a “Task Force unit”

dedicated to the support of the
dissemination of No-Till systems.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TRAINING • Organization and coordination of all the
REQUESTS stakeholders and field operations.
SOWING OPERATIONS
 Setting-up an enable environment
 Technical innovations must be accompanied by
SEEDS REQUEST
organizational and institutional innovations
 For being successful, adoption of such innovative
systems requires a high level of integration: from the
soil to the landscape, from research to private sector
FALLOW with Crotalaria spectabilis + Brachiaria sp.
(Guadeloupe)
FALLOW
Fallow with
withCajanus
Pigeon cajan
Pea + (Martinique)
Brachiaria sp.
(Guadeloupe)
Rolling on Crotalaria juncea with a roller crimper before Banana planting
(Martinique)
Crotalaria juncea + Desmodium ovalifolium
+ Bananas (Guadeloupe)
Crotalaria juncea + Desmodium ovalifolium
+ Bananas (Guadeloupe)
 Direct seeding of Pigeon Pea
on Brachiaria sp. + Crotalaria sp. residues
(Guadeloupe)
Pigeon Pea + banana (Guadeloupe)
Sesbania sp. + Desmodium ovalifolium + Bananas
(Martinique)
Sesbania sp. + Desmodium ovalifolium + Bananas
(Martinique)
Desmodium ovalifolium + Bananas
(Martinique)
“Ace” buggy with mower (Martinique)
1 meter

“Ace” buggy with mower (Martinique)

Management of the cover crop (Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça) before bananas planting
(Martinique)

Inter Row Banana Planting Row

Bananas + Gmelina arborea + Brachiaria D. (Martinique)
Bananas + Gmelina arborea + Brachiaria D. (Martinique)

MOWING MACHINE

SWATHING MACHINE
SWATHING machine for small tractor…
 After 6 Weeks

READY TO PLANT

1
Preparation of Arachis repens cuttings by
banana producers (Guadeloupe)
Planting Arachis repens cuttings on brachiaria mulch with a modified vegetables planter
(Martinique)
 Arachis repens + Bananas (Guadeloupe)

Or Kun Chroeurn!
Residues management

Thank You!