Du Roi Laboratory in Letsitele has developed an innovative field-ready banana plant that can be shipped efficiently in large volumes to growers in remote production areas. The new format Torpedo plants have already been successfully trialled in Chirundu, Zambia, Komatipoort in Mpumalanga, and the Tzaneen region of Limpopo.<\/p>\n
The Torpedo plant reaches the same field-ready size as conventional banana plants sold in 1.5-litre nursery bags. However, through a specialised growing technique, the root system is housed in a compact growing plug while the plant develops to full planting size. The result is a robust, field-ready plant that can be shipped without a nursery bag in a torpedo-shaped root plug of approximately 250 ml.<\/p>\n
Previously, growers located far from the nursery often relied on purchasing small tissue-cultured plants, commonly known as In-Vivo plants. These plants, typically around 5 cm tall, have already been weaned from laboratory conditions but still require hardening under a shade net structure before they can be planted in the field.<\/p>\n
Growers located closer to Letsitele, or those willing to absorb the higher transport costs, could purchase larger 20 cm field-ready plants in 1.5-litre bags. According to Tam Johnson of Du Roi Laboratory, the Torpedo plant offers the best of both worlds: the field readiness of the larger nursery plants combined with the transport efficiency of In-Vivo plants.<\/p>\n
One of the greatest advantages of the Torpedo system is logistics efficiency.<\/p>\n
While Torpedo plants are currently sold at the same price as plants in 1.5-litre bags, transport costs can be reduced by nearly threefold. A truck and trailer combination can transport approximately 19,000 banana plants in conventional nursery bags. By comparison, 2,000 Torpedo plants fit on a single pallet, and the same truck can carry 34 pallets, allowing for the transport of up to 68,000 plants in a single load.<\/p>\n
Faster planting, improved productivity<\/b><\/p>\n
The benefits extend beyond freight savings. Because Torpedo plants are already hardened and field-ready, growers can plant them directly into the orchard upon arrival. This eliminates the need for shade net acclimatisation, saving time, labour and nursery space while accelerating establishment in the field.<\/p>\n
Du Roi Laboratory confirms that all of its commercially available banana varieties can be produced in the Torpedo format, creating new opportunities for growers seeking efficient, large-scale planting solutions.<\/p>\n
As banana production continues to expand across Africa, innovations such as the Torpedo plant demonstrate how advances in tissue culture technology can help growers improve efficiency, reduce costs and establish orchards faster than ever before.<\/p>\n