The genetic improvement of banana and plantain has focused on breeding for resistance to black sigatoka. This has been quite successful, but the distribution of improved hybrids has been impeded by the outbvreak of Banana streak virus (BSV). Integration of viral sequences in Musa genomes make it difficult to apply commonly accepted principles for host-plant resistance. The short-term strategy of breeding programs at IITA was to address the BSV issue through a practical approach based on identification ...

Plant viruses cause major losses to several agricultural and horticultural crops around the world. Unlike other plant pathogens, there are no direct methods available yet to control viruses and, consequently, the current measures rely on indirect tactics to manage the viral diseases. Hence, methods for detection and identifi cation of viruses, both in plants and vectors, play a critical role in virus disease management. Diagnostic techniques for viruses fall into two broad categories: biological ...

Highlights are presented on the status of knowledge about cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and its causal agents in Nigeria. The disease occurs in all the agroecologies where cassava is grown, from the humid forest in the south to the semiarid and arid agroecologies in the north. The severity is generally moderate but can be very severe on susceptible genotypes. A severe outbreak of the disease was recorded in the late 1980s in Akwa Ibom State in southeastern Nigeria and was curtailed through the use ...

Viruses of the genera Potyvirus, Potexvirus, Badnavirus, Cucumovirus, and Carlavirus infect yams of different species worldwide. These viruses cause a range of symptoms including mosaics, mottle, vein clearing, chlorosis, stunting, and distortion. These lead to a chronic and sometimes severe disease situation in all yam growing areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 90% of the world’s yams are produced, Yam mosaic virus (YMV), genus Potyvirus is an ubiquitous pathogen. It is the only ...

Yams (Dioscorea species of family Dioscoreaceae) are important for food, income, and sociocultural activities especially in West and Central Africa and account for about 93% of the world’s annual production of 38 million tonnes. Breeding of yams is focused primarily on the two dominant species, D. rotundata Poir. and D. alata L., and it is carried out within the context of improving yam-based systems. Constraints to productivity of cultivation and opportunities for improvement are identifi ed ...

West Africa has experienced increases in cultivated lands over the last 50 years in order to meet increasing demand from rapidly growing populations. Most countries in the region still depend on agriculture as an important part of the economy. In most countries however agricultural productivity is low leading to food insecurity and poor performance of the whole sector. In the Maputo declaration of 2004 the African governments committed to spending at least 10% of the national budget resources on ...

Diseases do not respect national boundaries. The International Plant Diagnostic Network (IPDN) was initiated to improve the capacity for precise and rapid disease diagnostics across West Africa. A disease can only be controlled in an appropriate manner if the causal agent is known. Incorrect diagnosis of disease has led to significant losses in food production which impacts directly on the health and income of farmers. Furthermore, it has impacted on trade opportunities through the accumulation ...