Résumé
The overall goal of this program is to enhance banana and plantain production and food security through the adaptation of biotechnology in banana and plantain improvement. A feature of CIRAD's and CATIE's strategies is to work in close collaboration with the conventional breeding programs (CIRAD-FLHOR, Guadeloupe and CRBP Cameroon) applying biotechnology in obtaining the selected diploid and triploid clones, varieties or species that are of particular interest in breeding programs. The authors review the different aspects of this program: production of haploid plants and pure lines by in vitro culture of banana anthers and by fertilization with irradiated pollen; genetic transformation by gene transfer in cell suspensions and plant regeneration; 2 methods of somatic embryogenesis, and embryogenic cell suspension. At CIRAD, 2 studies have been done for the genetic understanding of Musa spp. The first comprises the establishment of a molecular linkage map of Musa using RFLPs and RAPDs, and the second focuses on the evaluation of genetic diversity in diploid bananas and triploid bananas.