Reviving the plantain breeding program at IITA in Nigeria.

IITA embarked on a plantain breedlog program using so far only French plantains as these plantains produce viable offspring while False Horn plantains not (Swennen and Vuylsteke, 1993). False horn plantains varieties, however, are preferred by consumers possibly because their starch Is different (Eggleston, Swennen, and Akoni, 1992). False horn plantain fruits also differ in maturation with French plantains (Swennen and Vuylsteke, 1987). The currently produced high yielding Black Sigatoka resistant plantains originating from French plantain have a reduced shelf life. In light of these concerns and considerations, the plantain breeding program of IITA needs a better understandlng of plantain fruit physiology and access to novel tools that can facilitate early selection. Although plantains are genetically very similar (Montcel et al., 1983, Swennen and Vuylsteke.1987, Swennen 1990, Crouch et al. 2000, De Langhe et al., 2005,), there are distinct phenotypic differences as described above. To get insight into those genotype specific ditterences we propose to link the fruit phenotype with the tissue development in a unique approach.We start from the developing fruit phenotypes where concrete metabolite and enzyme activity measurements will point to crucial time points to perform a high throughput tissue analysis. The proteins/enzymes are crucial in determlning the final phenotype. Therefore proteomics will be the crucial tool to understand fruit development and identlfy the genotype specific responses.