IITA, MAAIF, NARO, and ASARECA Join Forces to Sensitize Farmers on Combatting BBTV
By Genevieve Apio Kasese District, Uganda – A pivotal two-day farmers’ study tour focusing on tackling the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) was held in Kasese District, Uganda. The tour, organized by the Ukama Ustawi (UU) Learning Alliance, a CGIAR-led initiative supported by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural…
Strengthening the preparedness of West and Central Africa to control banana bunch top virus and banana Fusarium wilt
Lomé – Across Africa, bananas are a vital crop for millions of smallholder farmers, but the spread of transboundary plant diseases like banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) and Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) poses a serious threat to economic growth and sustainable development on the continent. The Central and Western African…
Awareness creation meeting on BBTD: presentation of response plan against BBTD
Plantain is one of the most important food crops, contributing 16% of farmers’ incomes and 4.5% to agricultural GDP in Cameroon. It is one of the priority crops included in Cameroon’s development strategy (SND30) for increasing production and reducing importation. However, plantain cultivation faces banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) caused…
Defending East Africa against banana bunchy top disease
With recent outbreaks in Tanzania and Uganda, banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) emerged as a significant threat to banana crops in East Africa. The disease, caused by the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), can lead to yield losses of 70 to 90% in the first season, with subsequent seasons seeing…
Joint comprehensive strategies to combat banana bunchy top outbreak in East Africa
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…