Management practices and opportunities in the East African highland banana (Musa AAA-EA) production in Uganda.

The East African highland banana (Musa spp. AAA-EA) is a primary food and cash crop in Uganda. Despite its importance, yields are poor due to biotic and abiotic constraints. However, quantitative information on the importance, interactions, and geographic distribution of yields and constraints is scanty. On-farm quantification of the yield gap requires a tool for estimating bunch weight since quantification of production is very difficult as plants are at different stages of production at any given time. Diagnosis of nutrient deficiencies requires a tool for identification of plant nutrient imbalances. The overall objective of this thesis, therefore, was to generate technologies and information that researchers and farmers can use to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of their banana-based systems...