CBN-V Video Archives - PS2-03
Cassava Geminiviruses: Today and Tomorrow

Fauquet, C.M.

International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology (ILTAB), Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 Warson Road, St Louis, MO 63132 iltab@danforthcenter.org

        Cassava is of South American origin but became an important crop in Africa by the end of the 19th century. The first description of a viral mosaic disease on cassava (CMD) dates from 1894 in East Africa and until recently was considered as single, unique virus having spread throughout Africa and to the Indian sub-continent. With the development of modern scientific tools, the accuracy of viral identification has increased significantly. In the 1980s it was established that there were at least three different virus species infecting cassava, one in west Africa; African cassava mosaic virus, one in East Africa; East-African cassava mosaic virus and a third in India; Indian cassava mosaic virus. CMD is now considered the most important disease affecting food production in Africa. Cassava geminiviruses have an inherent capacity to recombine between and among themselves, and are thereby constantly evolving to generate new biodiversity. Combined with their ability to act in a synergistic manner, this makes them highly opportunistic and capable of generating dramatic new epidemics, such as that significantly impacting cassava farmers in East and Central Africa. In order to cause disease, cassava geminiviruses require a susceptible host, a pool of virulent viruses and efficient insect vectors. South American cassava germplasm is known to be highly susceptible to CMD and the whitefly vectors are present in some locations. Unintentional movement of infected cassava material to the New World could initiate a pandemic of disastrous proportions for cultivated cassava and germplasm collections in Latin America. The viral situation in Africa has not significantly improved over the years. It is imperative to deploy all available technologies, including sanitation, breeding and genetic engineered resistance in a coordinated, comprehensive campaign to reduce yield losses to the cassava geminiviruses. In this way future epidemics in Africa and America can be prevented and cassava farmers empowered to further develop the crop a staple food and as a cash crop in sub-Saharan Africa.

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