The document provides an update on the West Africa Banana and Plantain Program. It discusses 1) classical breeding efforts to develop varieties resistant to diseases like Black Sigatoka, including the Improved Plantain and Improved Banana series, 2) pre-breeding work using chromosome doubling techniques to facilitate breeding of local landraces, and 3) country-specific activities in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Liberia, including variety registration, development of national projects, and collaboration with local partners.

1. Update on West Africa Banana and Plantain Program 1. Classical breeding 3. Agronomy 2. Pre-breeding -Old and new germplasm -Program restructuring -Variety registration -Chromosome doubling -Hormone treatment -Production map -Yield prediction -Density testing -Seedling production in vitro culture Molecular genetics Cytogenetics

3. Germplasm for Breeding -Landraces, hybrids and wild species -PITA and BITA series put back in breeding scheme -New materials being acquired from other breeding programs -Creation of new breeding blocks

5. Country specific aspects 1. Nigeria -Moved away from Onne Station (South East Nigeria) -Activities concentrated in Ibadan -National partners and networks maintained -Variety registration with NIHORT. Variety description catalog available -Two projects ongoing -One national project developed (IITA, NIHORT, NAGRAB, NABDA) 2. Ivory Coast -Collaboration with national partners [CNRA and Universities] -One breeding block created. A Field Technician hired. -6 project ideas in development (including one on banana-plantain) -Ivory Coast chosen by ECOWAS and the World Bank as the center of specialization for plantain with spill over in other ECOWAS countries [Second phase of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) ] 3. Ghana -The Crop Research Institute (CRI) has designated A responsible for Plantain (Michael Kwabena Osei). -In the course of developing a national project. 4. Liberia: In touch with Liberian Colleagues. Problem is baseline data

6. Nigeria -Pre-breeding operations -Introduction, in vitro regeneration and sanitation of new germplasm -Molecular laboratory aspects -Agronomy Ghana -Germplasm testing -Agronomy Pre-breeding support, seed and seedling transfer Transfer of breeding Materials for testing COUNTRY SPECIFIC DELIVERY HUBS IITA banana and Plantain Program and WCA overview Transfer of breeding Materials for conservation and distribution Tanzania -Breeding for ESA -East African Highland bananas -Plantain -Agronomy Ivory Coast -Breeding for WCA -Plantain -Other cooking bananas -Molecular laboratory aspects -Agronomy Cameroon -Germplasm testing -Post-harvest operations -Agronomy