The potential role of East African Highland banana in smallholder farming systems in Uganda and Tanzania

Description

The Great Lakes Region straddling Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Uganda and Tanzania is characterized by high population densities, with considerable dependence on East African Highland Banana (EAHB) production for food and income. The high population densities combined with low EAHB productivity due to water and nutrient stresses dictate the increase in production to meet the demands of the burgeoning populations should be based on intensification approaches. However, the region is in a post conflict situation with high level of poverty and poor market access. Furthermore, EAHB response to soil management practices is variable over time and space, necessitating development of pedoclimatic-specific recommendations for optimizing the EAHB cropping systems’ productivity. Moreover, variability in smallholder resource access, production objectives, and multiplicity of constraints (including their interactions) affect the effectiveness of technologies at different scales. 

Within several projects working together we address the role and contribution of banana to smallholder development opportunities at field, farm and regional scale, taking into account heterogeneity of the biophysical and socio-economic context. We apply both crop and farm level modelling with experimental field work and farmer surveys

In this thesis you will work together with PhD students contributing to their research. You can do experimental field combined with modelling at various levels, field, farm or region, best fitting your interest.

Collaboration

The research will be conducted in collaboration with IITA in Kampala, Uganda

Prerequisites

Analysing Sustainability of Farming Systems or Qualus. Several other courses are relevant such as Systems Analysis, Simulation and Systems Management and Crop Ecology. 

Location         

Wageningen and Kampala (Uganda)

Period

Any time

Supervisors

Gerrie van de Ven                  0317 – 48 26 96                                                                                  Gerrie.vandeven@wur.nl

Ken Giller                               0317 – 48 58 18                                  Ken.giller@wur.nl

Godfrey Tauly (IITA)                                                                                                                                                 G.taulya@cgiar.org