The invasion of banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), the causal agent of the lethal bunchy top disease of banana and plantain, threatens Africa’s most crucial banana production region in East Africa. The virus spread, confirmed in the 2020s in Tanzania and Uganda, is expanding fast. For instance, the delimitation survey…
Strengthening capacities to contain and control the disease will safeguard food and livelihood security Banana production is a major contributor to Tanzania’s economy, in fact, it is one of the most important crops that bolsters the country’s agribusiness subsector which is projected to grow by 10 percent by 2030 –…
A workshop on strengthening the preparedness and emergency management of Banana Fusarium wilt (TR4) and Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) for Southern African countries was organized from 5 to 9 June 2023 by FAO, with the financial support of the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-USAID. The workshop brought together representatives…
The IITA–CGIAR team has published a method using drones and satellite imager-based remote sensing approaches for mapping banana farms to guide surveillance for the detection and mapping of the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) spread and support data-informed decision-making on BBTV containment strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. The study, Banana Mapping in Heterogenous Smallholder Farming Systems…
As part of efforts to curb the spread of the invasive Banana Bunchy Top disease (BBTD) in Tanzania, IITA–CGIAR, in partnership with the Tanzanian Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA) and Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI), convened a three-day workshop in the first week of November 2022 to train targeted key…
Africa’s leading banana production region is threatened by the invasive spread of the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). The virus occurrence in East African countries was recorded in 2021, and the virus spread is unabated in the region. Urgent regional action is required to halt the expansion of the most lethal banana…