Cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease are caused by viruses transmitted by Bemisia tabaci and affect approximately half of all cassava plants inAfrica, resulting in annualproduction lossesofmore than$US1billion.Ahistorical and currentbias towards virus rather than vector controlmeans that these diseases continue to spread, andhigh Bemisia populations threaten future virus spread even if the extant strains and species are controlled. Progress has been made in parts of Africa in replicating some of the successes of integrated Bemisia control programmes in the south-western United States.However, these management efforts, which utilise chemical insecticides that conserve the Bemisia natural enemy fauna, are only suitable for commercial agriculture, which presently excludes most cassava cultivation in Africa. Initiatives to strengthen the control of B. tabaci on cassava inAfrica need to be aware of this limitation, and to focus primarily on controlmethods that are cheap, effective, sustainableandreadily disseminated, such as host-plant resistance andbiological control.Aframework basedontheapplication of force multipliers is proposed as a means of prioritising elements of future Bemisia control strategies for cassava in Africa.
Biology and management of Bemisia whitefly vectors of cassava virus pandemics in Africa
RAPISARDA, Carmelo
2014-01-01
Abstract
Cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease are caused by viruses transmitted by Bemisia tabaci and affect approximately half of all cassava plants inAfrica, resulting in annualproduction lossesofmore than$US1billion.Ahistorical and currentbias towards virus rather than vector controlmeans that these diseases continue to spread, andhigh Bemisia populations threaten future virus spread even if the extant strains and species are controlled. Progress has been made in parts of Africa in replicating some of the successes of integrated Bemisia control programmes in the south-western United States.However, these management efforts, which utilise chemical insecticides that conserve the Bemisia natural enemy fauna, are only suitable for commercial agriculture, which presently excludes most cassava cultivation in Africa. Initiatives to strengthen the control of B. tabaci on cassava inAfrica need to be aware of this limitation, and to focus primarily on controlmethods that are cheap, effective, sustainableandreadily disseminated, such as host-plant resistance andbiological control.Aframework basedontheapplication of force multipliers is proposed as a means of prioritising elements of future Bemisia control strategies for cassava in Africa.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
