28 International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development www.allsubjectjournal.com Online ISSN: 2349-4182, Print ISSN: 2349-5979 Received: 03-05-2022, Accepted: 20-06-2022, Published: 05-07-2022 Volume 9, Issue 7, 2022, Page No. 28-36 Banana production in Zimbabwe: An analysis from a biotechnological pespective Beaton Kumbirai 1 , Chikwambi Zedias 1* , Mupfigu Upenyu 2 1 Department of Biotechnology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe 2 Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe Abstract Globally, banana (Musa Spp.) is ranked fourth in terms of gross value production following rice, wheat and maize and its production in Zimbabwe is ranked 57 amongst 132 producing countries. Banana farming in Zimbabwe has been found to produce more profit as compared to maize and tomatoes as far as the dollar to ton ratio is concerned and therefore can be a major contributor to the economy of Zimbabwe. The review serves to troubleshoot and addressed the unavailability of proper documentation of the currently produced banana cultivars’ origin, genetic information and nutritional analysis such that germplasm conservation and improvements can be employed. The fruit requires an identification system for breeding purposes and assessments, which would then pose as an easy way of knowing characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of a particular cultivar before production. Apart from knowing the genetic characteristics of bananas, its geo-spatial distribution requires assessment. Banana production in Zimbabwe is concentrated in the warm and humid areas of Natural Region but similar climatic conditions are found in areas dotted across Zimbabwe. Using species distribution models, cultivars can be mapped to new environments mimicking the original production conditions. Keywords: Musa Spp. germplasm, genetic characterization, gene pool, morphological characterization, species distribution models Introduction Banana production in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is an agriculture based economy (Maiyaki, 2010) [1] . The country has over 39 million hectares of land with 33.3 million reserved only for agriculture. According to FAO statistics, agriculture contributes only 17 % to Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product (GDP), an increase from 2017’s 10.46 %. Despite the low GDP percentage, agricultural activities provide employment and income for 60-70 % of the Zimbabwean population. Agriculture supplies approximately 60 % of the raw materials required by the agro-industrial sector contributing up to 40 % of the total export earnings (FAO Zimbabwe, 2018) [2] . Mutenga, (2019) [3] , supported these statistics highlighting that banana production amongst tobacco, cotton, sugar, horticulture and tea, collectively contributes 40 % by value of national export to the country’s GDP. Generally, bananas grow very well in areas with an optimal mean monthly temperature of 27 o C and require a lowest mean annual temperature of 12-13 o C (Tushemereirwe 2001) [4] . The plant has a high affinity for water, requiring approximately 25 mm per week for minimal optimal growth. The annual rainfall required by bananas is in the range of 1500-2500 mm but with very good management or irrigation schemes, they can grow well in areas with a mean annual rainfall of 1200 mm and below. These conditions are the major reason why banana production is high in the Eastern Highlands, in Zimbabwe where such conditions can be met. Banana production in Zimbabwe has proved great potential in becoming a major income generating crop as highlighted by Chaipa (2015) [5] , Murendo et al. (2018) [6] , Draft (2018) [7] , and Mutenga (2019) [3] . Banana production in Zimbabwe has proved to be more viable compared to commonly grown field and horticultural crops (Matimaire, 2018) [8, 11] . Findings from research surveys indicated that 1 hectare of tomato, for example, yields 15,000 kg, and with the average price of US $0.50 cents per kilogram, US$7500/ ha can be generated (ZFU, 2019) [9] . Maize, a staple field crop has an average yield of 5 tons per hectare and a price of $300 per ton, thus capable of generatingUS1500/ ha (ZFU, 2017) [10] . Banana on the other hand, the 45 ton/ ha average yield has a market value of $550 per ton (Matimaire, 2018) [8, 11] , which converts to USD 24 750 (ZFU, 2017) [10] . Being a perennial crop, banana, like all the other perennials, banana offers food security making it a favorable crop for developing countries. Production in Zimbabwe is being conducted on both large and small scale and on international rankings; production in Zimbabwe is ranked 21 in Africa and 57 in the world among 135 producing countries. Surveys of banana production showed that production in Zimbabwe is mainly done by mainly, small holder farmers (Chaipa, 2015, Murendo et al., 2018, Dube, 2018) [5, 6] under contract system (Murendo et al., 2018) [6] . Large scale banana producers in Zimbabwe large estates that include, Matanuska, Rosywood Mahemu, Roscorn Estate, Tagumi Estate and Rift Valley in the Eastern District of the country (Chidavaenzi, 2014) [12] . From 2007 to 2011 banana production average output hovered around 1 million metric tons per year, but a sharp decline, attributed to high nematode infestation, was noticed in the year 2012 (Mutenga, 2019) [3] . An increase in cropped