Introduction. Bananas are traditionally propagated by suckers: nevertheless, the advantage of using tissue-cultured plants for banana production has been demonstrated in recent years. Despite the large-scale use of micropropagated plants in the subtropical regions, little information is available on the performance of these crops in tropical countries. So we compared the yield potential of some Cavendish banana cultivars propagated either by traditional suckers or by tissue culture. Materials and methods. A randomized complete block experiment was established in a commercial plantation in Cameroon to compare the performance of three tissue-cultured banana plants of Grand Nain, Williams and Zelig cultivars and two conventionally-propagated plants of Grand Nain and Williams. Morphological, phenological and yield component data were collected for six crop cycles. Results. All the plants grew vigorously and produced quality exportable fruits. However, the tissue-cultured plants consistently produced heavier bunches and higher yields than the conventionally-propagated plants. The highest yields (65.92 t·ha–1 for Grand Nain, 64.60 t·ha–1 for Williams and 65.58 t·ha–1 for Zelig) were obtained for the tissue-cultured plants in the third crop cycle compared with 51.43 t·ha–1 and 59.02 t·ha–1 obtained for the traditionally-propagated Grand Nain and Williams plants, respectively. There were no significant yield differences between the plants of different origin in the second and fourth cycles, respectively. However, the tissue-cultured Williams and Zelig plants outperformed the other plants in the sixth crop cycle. Conclusion. The tissue-cultured plants of the three Cavendish cultivars studied performed better than the plants resulting from conventional suckers. The best cultivar for commercial plantation used, that is located in a tropical environment, was Williams. In general, to obtain an optimum benefit, we would recommend the use of tissue-cultured plants over a period of 6–7 years with good management practices.

Introduction. Fruit and vegetable consumption is now more than ever before understood, along with physical exercise, to be among the factors ensuring well-being. Cross-cultural epidemiological studies reveal a preventive effect of this consumption on certain human pathologies, whence the emergence of preventive nutrition. Changes in biodiversity dietary intake. Industrially-processed products, undergoing a greater or lesser degree of refinement, were developed during the last century; they focused on a few productive species and varieties. The concept of high-calorie foods, an energy source, which has been prevalent in dietetics over the past few decades, had minimised the role of fruit and vegetables in the diet, due to their low calorie content. Plant biodiversity in foodstuffs originating from the American tropics. There are few cultivated major species and varieties in terms of biodiversity. 40% of the edible plant species in the world today originate from the American tropics. Of the planet's 250 000 estimated plant species, 100 000 are believed to be from the Americas. Preserving the beneficial properties of processed products. To improve recovery of the properties of the fresh resource for the consumer, innovation in the processing methods is required, with unit operations ensuring the best possible preservation of the healthy compounds. Conclusion and prospects. Communication on fruit and vegetables has not enjoyed the same research and publicity resources as many processed products. Knowledge of and information on food resources, diet and health have become a major challenge. The relative wealth of the plant biodiversity from the American tropics represents a heritage we need to reharness.

Introduction. The methods of fruit disinfestation against fruit flies use processes (physical methods) which differ according to the export country and fruit which must be disinfested. The term definitions are made clear and the various treatments are presented. Heat treatments. For mango, treatments usable for disinfestation can only utilize heat, because of the strong sensitivity of this fruit to cold temperatures. The heat treatments in general consist of using an immersion in hot water by a system of batches or an uninterrupted bath. These treatments are then followed or not by a fruit fast cooling which can be carried out by ventilation (cold air) or hydrocooling (water). Heat can also be obtained by use of forced hot air or hot vapor, because a higher temperature than 45 °C kills fly eggs and larvae. Microwave treatments. The use of microwaves is also a technique which makes it possible to increase the temperature in the fruit heart. Irradiation. The last possible solution is the use of irradiation, which uses a principle different from the preceding treatments. Conclusion. In comparison with the most current treatments (vapor heat treatment and forced hot-air treatment), the hot water treatment has many advantages: it is easy to implement, it is quick, it kills surface parasitic organisms, it makes it possible to clean the fruit surface and its cost only corresponds to approximately 10% of the cost of one vapor heat treatment. It would thus be recommended for mango disinfestation.

Introduction. Mamey (Mammea americana L., Clusiaceae) was present in Martinique before the Spanish colonization. Its distribution area includes tropical America and the Caribbean. A significant phenotypical diversity is observed on the island, with fruits of very uneven quality as well as various agronomic, pomological and biochemical characteristics. The aim of our work was to localize, identify and characterize trees considered of superior quality. Materials and methods. A survey carried out between April and September 2005 allowed the selection of 10 trees renowned by the people as bearing high-quality fruits. These fruits present a small number of seeds and nonadhesive pulp, and develop a sweet taste as well as a strong flavor. During the year 2006, pomological description and biochemical analysis (total soluble solids and total titrable acidity) were carried out on the fruits. Results and discussion. The biometric and biochemical characteristics measured were generally better than those cited in the literature. Some accessions stand out and present great assets for their promotion for the fresh market as well as for processing. Moreover, some tendencies emerged from the variability observed for a few characters: thus, the variability of the biochemical characteristics measured within one accession, as well as between accessions originating from the same land, is low. It is null for the seed adhesion to the pulp for fruits belonging to the same accession. Conclusion and perspectives. Our work is one of the first relating to identification and characterization of phenotypical diversity of the M. americana L. species, especially in Martinique Island. Our results are likely to promote the development of a diversification network. Some highlighted trends suggest new research to be able to distinguish the role of the environmental versus genetic components in the performance of the phenotypes observed.

Introduction. La zone sahélienne se caractérise par des sécheresses récurrentes, une dégradation accrue des sols, des rendements agricoles faibles et des périodes de famines fréquentes. Il serait dès lors nécessaire d’introduire des cultures moins tributaires de la pluviométrie et pouvant participer à l’autosuffisance alimentaire. Dans ce contexte, nous avons testé la culture de cultivars améliorés de jujubier (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) au nord du Burkina Faso. Matériel et méthodes. Cinq cultivars domestiqués de jujubier d’origine israélienne (cultivar Ben Gurion), ou indienne (Gola, Kaithali, Seb et Umran) ont été plantés en station de recherche à partir de jeunes plants greffés (environ 500 plants·ha–1) ; ils ont été irrigués soit manuellement par une technique traditionnelle, soit par un système de goutte-à-goutte. Le poids et la dimension des fruits (longueur et largeur) récoltés après 2 et 3 ans de plantation ont été étudiés. Résultats. La production fruitière des cultivars en deuxième et troisième années, tous cultivars confondus, a donné respectivement 0,48 t·ha–1 et 3,54 t·ha–1 avec une production moyenne de (0,97 et 7,08) kg par an et par pied. Les cultivars, Ben Gurion, Gola et Seb ont produit environ 500 fruits par pied, Umran, 300 fruits par pied, et Kaithali, 200 fruits par pied. Le cultivar Ben Gurion a présenté le poids moyen de fruit le plus élevé (15 g) et Kaithali, le poids le plus faible (6 g). Les cultivars les plus productifs se sont révélés être Ben Gurion et Gola qui, avec le cultivar Umran, ont donné les plus gros fruits. Discussion et conclusion. Les récoltes observées pour les plants de 2 et 3 ans pourrait faire espérer, par extrapolation, un rendement de près de 13 t·ha–1 en neuvième année. Ces premiers résultats obtenus dans une région peu propice à la production agricole permettent d’envisager la possibilité d’un développement de la culture du jujubier en zone sahélienne, pouvant déboucher à terme sur une source de revenus substantiels pour les populations locales.

Introduction. Dans plusieurs pays, le psylle Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) est considéré comme le ravageur majeur du poirier. Afin de préserver les ennemis naturels de ce ravageur, la lutte contre C. pyri passe actuellement par l’utilisation de matières actives aptes à préserver les auxiliaires de l’insecte, voire de substances préventives, dont la kaolinite. Pour la première fois en Tunisie, nous avons testé l’efficacité de ce produit en traitement d’hiver, en comparaison avec l’huile minérale traditionnellement utilisée. Matériel et méthodes. Pour déterminer le moment opportun d’un traitement contre C. pyri, les adultes présents en hiver dans un verger de poiriers ‘Williams’ ont été échantillonnés par frappage des branches. Les femelles récoltées ont été disséquées pour déterminer le stade de développement de leurs ovaires. Ces observations ont permis de déclencher, au moment opportun, une application hivernale à base de kaolinite, dont les résultats ont été comparés à ceux obtenus par un traitement à l’huile minérale. L’impact de ces deux traitements sur la ponte des femelles d’hiver et les larves qui en ont été issues a été étudié ; conjointement, la phénologie du poirier a été évaluée par plusieurs contrôles. Résultats. Les applications hivernales de kaolinite ont évité la ponte des femelles de psylle sur poirier. En conséquence, ce produit a réduit significativement les populations larvaires de C. pyri jusqu’au stade de chute des pétales. En outre, la kaolinite n’a pas eu d’impact sur le déroulement de la floraison. Conclusion. En Tunisie, la kaolinite s’est révélée très performante dans la prévention des pontes des femelles hivernantes de C. pyri ; elle pourrait donc être insérée dans un programme de lutte intégrée contre ce ravageur.