Cultural practices as a way of nematode control of banana

Nematodes are one of the main constraints of banana cultivation both in intensive production (dessert bananas) or in smallholding-extensive systems (cooking bananas and plantains). In intensive cropping systems, nematode problems are generally important since the agro-ecosystem is highly simplified (only one variety/clone) on large hectareages and at high planting densities, allowing pests to multiply intensively. On the other hand, nematodes are well studied and known in this context, and efficient control methods can be implemented, although generally at high cost and mainly by applying high levels of chemical compounds which are detrimental to the environment and harmful to human health. In extensive cropping systems, the ecological diversity is much more conserved and pest problems may be self-controlled by natural antagonists. However the introduction of allogenous pests and/or any change in cultural practices may lead to significant damage with an impact which may be dramatic for peoples who live off what they produce. In this smallholding economy, chemical control is simply not applicable, being too expensive and too harmful to manage (insufficient expertise/training, mixed cropping systems). As an alternative to chemical control, many cultural practices may suppress nematode pressure significantly, and maintain, or even increase, banana production. Some of these practices (fallow, in-vitro propagation of nematode-free plantlets) are currently applied in intensive production, allowing the chemical use to be reduced significantly. This paper will present different aspects of cultural practices which may be integrated in order to develop production methods far less chemical dependent. (Résumé d'auteur