www.iita.org

International Workshop on BBTV and BXW:Meeting the Challenges of Emerging Disease Threats to Banana

and Strategies for Raising Awareness, Surveillance and

Management of these Diseases in sub-Saharan Africa

24 – 28 August 2009, Arusha, Tanzania

REPORT

www.iita.org

Background

•Emergence and severe outbreaks of

banana bunchy top and banana bacterial

wilt in SSA.

•Both the diseases are highly invasive and

can spread rapidly causing severe damage

to banana production.

www.iita.org

A

B

Banana bunchy top disease

• Known to occur in Africa since 1920; in SSA since 1954.

• Occurs in 11 countries (Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African

Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea,

Gabon, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia; Disease reported in Mozambique, but

Govt. authorities reported eradication of BBTV ).

www.iita.org

Banana bacterial wilt

bacterium

Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum

• BBW (also known as banana

Xanthomonas wilt or BXW)

• Native to Ethiopia(!)

• Outside Ethiopia, first reported

in 2001

• Occurs in 6 countries: (DRC,

Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,

Tanzania and Uganda).

www.iita.org

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Area of Musa Area of plantain Area of banana

Total area

Area of banana and plantain in

BBTV and BXW-affected countries

haTotal area of banana and plantain in

BBTV & BXW-affected countries in Africa

*Source: FAOSTAT; (Verified in Aug 09)

Musa area in Africa – 2007*

Musa production in 4.5 million ha is under the threat of BXW and BBTV

www.iita.org

Efforts were on to combat BXW, but very

little was known about BBTV in SSA.

Plant to hold regional meeting on BBTV

discussed during “Banana-2008”.

EU-Funding to SADC to establish a

framework to control BBTV & BXW.

FAO funding for East Africa for

surveillance.

USAID-bridge fund to IITA and Bioversity.

Alliance to combat common threats

www.iita.org

Objectives

• To update the current status of BBTD and BXW, risk of further spread and

national capacity for response.

• To bring experiences from global partners on BBTD, BXW and banana

aphid control to the planning and development of the SSA strategy.

• To develop country/regional strategies to control BBTD, BXW and banana

aphid in endemic areas, and restrict spread into unaffected zones.

• To strengthen regional capacity for quarantine, research and extension

with respect to surveillance and management tools and approaches on

BBTD and BXW in SSA.

www.iita.org

19 Countries: 60 participants

Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DRC, Kenya, Malawi,

Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and

Zimbabwe. Australia, India, Italy and UK.

Invitations sent to Angola, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, but there was no

response.

www.iita.org

Program

24 – 28 August

Day 1: Baseline studies and country reports; and lessons from

internationals experience

Day 2: New trends in BXW and BBTD management

Working groups

• Surveillance and quarantine feedback

• Disease Control and Management Measures

• Supply of Clean Planting Material

• Advocacy and Socio-economic Assessment

Day 3 – 4: Discussion sessions on country priorities and prioritization of

research needs

Day 4 – 5: Surveillance workshop

www.iita.org

IITA team at helm

•BBTV studies in SSA – L Kumar

•Banana aphid and biocontrol – R Hanna

•Overview and new trends in BXW research – L Tripathi

•Surveillance workshop – F Beed

•GIS in surveillance – H Bouwmeester

•Country priority setting – S Hauser

•Researchable issues – R Hanna

www.iita.org

•Further information and updates on:

www.bananadiseasesframework.org

•Wide coverage in media

Outputs

•Good source for problem assessment

and R4D needs, and soliciting donors

for funding

•High level meeting in 2010

www.iita.org

www.iita.org

Country priorities

1. Surveillance and

quarantine

2. Supply of

clean planting

material

3. On-farm control

and management

practices

4. Advocacy / Socio-

econ. assessment

none Mozambique 4 1 3 2

none Nigeria 1 2 3 4

none South Africa 1 3 2 4

none Zimbabwe 1 3 2 4

BXW Kenya 4 1 2 3

BXW Tanzania 1 3 4 2

BXW Uganda 3 1 2 4

BBTD Burundi 2 1 3 4

BBTD Cameroon 1 3 4 2

BBTD CAR 2 3 1 4

BBTD Congo Brazzaville 2 1 4 3

BBTD Malawi 2 1 4 3

BBTD Zambia 2 3 4 1

both DRCongo 2 1 3 4

both Rwanda 2 3 1 4

www.iita.org

Research priorities for BBTD

SSA

country

Mean

SSA

Countries

with BBTD

SSA

countries

without

BBTD

International

experts

Screening germplasm for resistance 18 17 14 14

Disease epidemiology 18 18 15 13

IPM package 14 12 13 13

User-friendly diagnosis 12 15 18 13

Environmental /economical /social factors & disease

dynamics 12 16 13 14

Biocontrol of aphid 9 9 9 9

Spatial analysis and modelling disease/vector dispersal 9 12 12 10

Screening insecticides 5 6 1 4

Biopriming for aphid 4 4 5 3

User-friendly techniques to eradicated disease - - - 10

Aphid population biology - - - 20

Transgenics for BBTV resistance - - - 20

Long distance dispersal and development of disease - - - 20

www.iita.org

Research priorities for BXW

SSA

country

Mean

SSA

Countri

es with

BBTD

SSA

countries

without

BBTD International experts

IPM package 23 16 12 24

Disease epidemiology 18 18 13 18

User-friendly diagnosis 15 21 26 14

Screening germplasm for resistance 14 13 21 13

Environmental /economical /social factors & disease

dynamics 13 13 9 13

Spatial analysis and modelling disease and vector

dispersal 10 - - 9

Pathogen variability - - - 5

Risk to other crops - - - 5

User-friendly techniques to eradicated disease - - 15

User friendly/economic ways to disinfect tools (e.g.,

natural biocides) - - 15

Clarify/validate best-bet for dealing with BXW

infections (i.e., cut down or uproot) - - 15

Survival of BXW in banana residues and ways to

accelerate decay - - 5

Surveillance / epidemiology 8

www.iita.org

Outputs

1. Current status of BBTD and BXW in east, central and southern Africa

reviewed and updated.

2. Increased awareness of threat posed by BBTD and BXW and of possible

strategies for regional, national and local action.

3. Resolution from participants of the workshop on the need for immediate and

broadened action to tackle the problem of BBTD and BXW.

4. Proposal for national and regional actions on short, medium and long term

needs for managing BXW and BBTD management.

Contd…

www.iita.org

Outputs

5. Priority Research needs itemized.

6. Guidelines for surveillance and international and intra-national quarantine.

7. Surveillance protocol for BXW and BBTV

8. Website on BBTD among national and international partners on fighting the

threat of BBTD; and existing website on BXW expanded to incorporate

additional partners.

9. Assessment impact of BXW (in Uganda) and BBTD (in Malawi) on Musa

production and livelihoods.

10.Workshop proceedings (in preparation)

www.iita.org