Promising High-Yielding Tetraploid Plantain-Bred Hybrids in West Africa

Table 1

The making of PITA 3: from crossing (1989) to cultivar release in Côte d’Ivoire (2016).

Year	Activity
1989	Crossing of tetraploid plantain “Obino L’Ewai” and wild banana “Calcutta 4”
1990	In vitro seed germination, seedling nursery, and early evaluation trial planting at IITA high rainfall station (Onne, Rivers State, Nigeria)
1990–1993	Early and preliminary yield trials at IITA high rainfall station
1993–1995	Multisite trials of plantain hybrids across plant and ratoon crops in West Africa
1994 onwards	Advanced yield trials of promising plantain hybrids (PITA 3 among them) in sub-Saharan Africa (including Côte d’Ivoire)
1997	Testing of fruit taste quality in Côte d’Ivoire
2007	Participatory on farm testing began in Côte d’Ivoire
2012–2016	Mass propagation and in vivo distribution in Côte d’Ivoire
2013	Variety mixture trial began in Côte d’Ivoire
2017	PITA 3 included in the varietal directory of improved cultivars of Côte d’Ivoire