Banana bunchy top disease: Piloting containment and field recovery approaches through a learning alliance in sub-Saharan Africa

Lava Kumar, Charles Staver et al.RTB Annual Meeting

30 Sep 2014, Entebbe, Uganda

Outline What do we know? Need for the Alliance RTB complimentary

grant Progress Lessons Next steps

Banana bunchy top disease

©Lava Banana aphid

•Genus Babuvirus, family Nanoviridae

• Infects members of Musaceae and Ensete

•Vectored by the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa (circulative)

•Listed among the top 100 global threats to biodiversity

Banana bunchy top disease

>50% production affectedDRC, Congo, Gabon, Burundi Equatorial Guinea, and Malawi .

Ca, <10 - 20% production affectedCameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Zambia, Angola, Rwanda, CAR and Egypt

BBTD impact in SSA

About 70% decline in production in ca. 20 year

Quantitative data on yield losses not available

“Production declined from truck load to cycle load”.

• Between 1994–2000 Cavendish banana production declined by 80% in central and southern Malawi. Farmers shifted to maize

• BBTV blamed for destruction of 60 percent of the crop in Malawi.

Containment and recovery is critical to avert further spread and losses

Risk countries (close proximity to BBTV inoculum)

Secondary foci

Primary foci

Alliance for BBTD control in Africa

RTB funded planning grant (2012)

• Pilot integrated community approaches for recovering banana production

• Establish strategies to ensure low-cost, healthy planting material production

• Understanding disease epidemiology, farming systems for effective containment and recovery

• Develop tools for disease surveillance and monitoring recovery

Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, DR Congo, Burundi and Malawi

BBTD containment and recovery: Building capacity and piloting field recovery approaches through a learning alliance (2013-16)

Alliance for BBTD control in Africa

Project team

Lava Kumar, R. Hanna, H. Kirscht

IITA, Nigeria and Cameroon

C. Staver, A Rietveld, S. Ajambo, G. Blomme

Bioversity International, Uganda and France

M-L. Iskra-Caruana CIRAD , France C. Niyongere Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU),

Burundi M. Soko Bvumbwe Research Station, MalawiP. Mobambo Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC B. Dhed’a Djailo Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, DRC M. Z-Tachin and C. C. Tossou

Université d’Abomey-Calavi and INRAB, Republic of Benin

C. Onyeani and S. Akinyemi

Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services and National Institute of Horticultural Research, Nigeria

AC Mvila Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Congo Brazzaville

M. Andeime Chercheur à l'Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestières (IRAF), Gabon

PhD Students: D Adediji, GH Vangu and B Ibanda

Project action sites

1. WA1 – Benin2. WA2 – Nigeria3. CA1 – Cameroon / Gabon4. CA2 – Congo Republic5. CA3 – DRC-Bas Congo6. ECA1 – DRC - Kisangani7. ECA 2 – Burundi8. SA1 - Malawi

• 7 of 8 action sites established

Common actions

• High density disease distribution map

• Awareness creation

• Eradication of infected mats

• Production & supply of clean planting material

• Developing local capacity for production of clean planting material

• Understanding the gender and generational dimensions in disease control

Action site: DRC-Kisangani

Coordinator: B. Dhed’a Djailo (Univ. Kisangani)

©IITA

• Two sties in at Masako

• Community and farmer learning meetings held

• 3 ha of BBTV free banana fields established

Coordinator: P Mobambo (Univ. Kinshasa)

• 3 sites in Kinshasa: UNIKIN Station and 2 villages

• 3 sites in Bas-Congo: INERA Station and 2 villages

• Clean sucker multiplication through macropropagation (cv. Bubi and GrosMichelle)

• Participator trials with farmers

Action site: Cameroon

Coordinator: R. Hanna (IITA)

• Sites in three communities

• BBTD awareness campaign with workshop for all affected communities.

• Multiplication of improved and local plantains for the establishment of community fields.

• Established three 1-ha community fields (Sep 2014).

Action site: Burundi

• Baseline studies for BBTD incidence:

• Cibitoke Province: 48,3%

• Mugina commune: Gitebe (49.7%) and Rusagara (86,7%)

• Rugombo commune : Kagazi (30%) and Munyika (40%)

Coordinator: C. Niyongere (ISABU)

• Farmers’ groups: Mugina (4) and Rugombo (3) 74 households involved in disease management

• Two nurseries established in August 2014 in Rugombo & Mugina

Action site: Malawi

• Two sites established

• BBTD incidence 40% to 100%

• Loses of up to 100% in Cavendish which almost extinct in the Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota.

• Replanting done using tissue culture plantlets from Vitropic, France, raised at Bvumbwe Research Station

• Total of 400 farmers, 200 in each district with 35% as females (Nkhotakota and Nkhatabay)

Coordinator: M. M. Soko (Bvumbwe Research Station)

Action site: Nigeria

Coordinators: C. Oniyani (NAQS) & S. Akinyemi (NIHORT)

• One community identified in Idiroko (Ogun state)

• BBTD awareness campaign with workshop for all affected communities.

• Multiplication of local plantain Agbagba

Coordinators: M. Z-Tachin (UNIKAS) & C. Tossou (INRAB)

• Communities in Akpo-Missérété and Adjara Established three 1-ha community fields (September 2014).

• Community mobilization for field establishment

Addressing knowledge gaps

Hostx

virus

Vectorx

virus

Hostx

virus

Hostx

virus

Spread of the disease1

2

3

4

5

Is possible the emergence of a severe BBTV strains? 3-4- Studies on viral evolution and studies on biological role of recombinants

How long does it take to be a plant reservoir after infection? 1-2 Studies on virus multiplication, movement and accumulation in plant

How long is the recovery of BBTV free zones? 5- Studies on epidemiology

Is it possible to have/find tolerance? 6. Studies on epigenetic regulations of the viral multiplication

• Understanding selection pressure and recombination events

• Within a plant• Within a field• Within a location• Within the country

• Characterizing all the six segments of BBTV genome in each target country

BBTV-C-BENIN

BBTV-C-Idologun43

BBTV-C-Ibola5

BBTV-C-Mende76

JQ820463|BBTV-Rwanda-138

JQ820469|BBTV-Rwanda-142

JQ820457|BBTV-Malawi-73

JN250597|BBTV-SriLanka-Kandy

JF957681|BBTV-Tonga-310

FJ609643|BBTV-India-Bihar

AM418564|BBTV-Pakistan-CL-IM

JF957684|BBTV-Tonga-S28

HQ378193|BBTV-China-Haikou4

68

47

98

66

67

88

63

54

35

55

0.002 C-gene BBTV-SCP-Mende62

BBTV-SCP-Mende76

BBTV-SCP-BENIN2

BBTV-SCP-Ibola5

BBTV-SCP-BENIN26

BBTV-SCP-Owotedo80

JN250595|BBTV-SriLanka-Kandy

JQ820455|BBTV-Malawi-73

JQ820467|BBTV-Rwanda-142

JQ820461|BBTV-Rwanda-138

AF148943|BBTV-Burundi

JF755981|BBTV-GAB-TV18.2

JF755979|BBTV-CAM-TV14.1

JF755978|BBTV-CAM-TV4.11

JF755986|BBTV-DRC-23

JF755984|BBTV-DRC-TV24

JF755982|BBTV-GAB-TV-17.5

JF755987|BBTV-DRC-25.2

JF755980| BBTV-MAL-TV5.4

FJ605507|BBTV-India-Bihar

FJ859739|BBTV-Pakistan-TA2

JF957660|BBTV-Tonga-S28

HQ378191|BBTV-China-Haikou4

AB108451|BBTV-Japan-JY1100

79

49

99

60

50

55

52

6063

35

4154

31

23

51

97

73

0.01

SCP

Understanding BBTV evolution

NJ Phylogenetic tree based on the Mt COI gene

• Vector populations assessed using mitochondrial COI gene marker

• Almost exclusive association of P. nigronervosa with banana in Africa

• Rarely P. caladii was observed

• How many species are involved in virus transmission?

Aphid role in BBTV spread

Aphid role in BBTV spread

Genes Protein size

(bases)

Amino acid changePosition Vector Non-

vector

PITP 300 262 Q HDHPR 230 170 E QRePA70 235 155 N HCyclophilin 225 34 Q EATP-D 170 147 I DCoA 245 68 P Q

Mutations in marker genes associated with virus transmission

• Can all banana aphid populations transmit virus?(Reasons for differential rate of virus spread)

• Application of protein biomarkers to determine variation in transmission efficiency by banana aphids.

• Studies on aphid population in Nigeria indicates non-vector haplotyp as dominant.

Tolerance to BBTD and aphids

Tolerance to BBTD and aphids

Effective eradication model

(studies in 2015)

• Complete eradication vs. partial eradication

• Fallow period vs no fallow period

• Duration of fallow period

• Rate of re-infection in newly planted fields

Diagnostic tools

BBTV specific(240 bp)

Internal Control [BRep-1] (400 bp)

Multiplex PCR with internal control primer

Reading results by eye after adding SYBR Green dye. Colour changes from orange (negative reaction) to green (positive reaction).

LAMP assay for BBTV detectionOn-site application possible

Training in application of diagnostics

“Banana virus diagnostics for clean seed production, safe germplasm exchange and

surveillance of BBTD”(CIRAD, July 2014)

Gender studies

Embedding recovery and containment strategies for banana diseases in the social reality of male and female farmers

• Participatory methods workshop held in Bujumbura: 50 participants from pilot sites in 8 countries attended.

• Methods and tools for gender and social analysis developed for implementation in pilot sites 2015

• To develop information and communications strategies that informs both women and men of safe pest and disease control methods

• Learn about the kinds of support both women and men need to integrate BBTD control measures.

Linkages

Seed degeneration project:Effect of BBTV on degeneration on planting material (Farmer practices vs. positive selection)

Seed system framework:Effective model for generating healthy planting material for disease control in endemic areas

Pest risk assessment:Impact of temperature vs altitude effects on vectoring ability of banana aphid (action site in Burundi)

Humidtropics systems intensification:Action sites in Burundi

Seed degeneration trial in Idologun (low-altitude site), Ogun state, Nigeria

A similar trial at a high altitude location in Brundi

BA 2: Improving the livelihoods of smallholder banana producers in Asia and Africa through recovery and containment of banana bunchy top disease

Integrated approaches to

recover and maintain banana

production in BBTD affected

areas, including clean seed

supplies and community replanting

Understanding host-virus-

vector dynamics, including biological

control potential and

epidemiological modeling

Quarantine and containment strategies, including

surveillance methods and

diagnostic tools.

Appropriate cropping

systems based on household

gender and generational

understanding for more

effective and economic BBTV

recovery approaches

Innovations for host plant

resistance to BBTV and

exploitation of tolerant

cultivars for BBTD recovery

Capacity development

among national and local

partners for piloting BBTD recovery and production of

BBTV-free planting material

Global, regional and national awareness raising and

learning approaches on

the threat of BBTD and promoting integrated community

approaches for disease control

Lessons

• Different expectations from farmers / stakeholders-Some are proactive-Some resists-Some seek incentives to take part

• High demand for quality planting material-Banana seed systems is week (especially in Central and West Africa)

• Challenges with eradication-Banana is a weed!!!

• BBTV is an introduced disease in SSA

• One introduction expanded to 13 countries in SSA, threatening 35% of Musa production in 35% of the total area

ha

Source: FAO2012

Total production area

Total area in BBTV affected countries

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

35%

Production area in Australia

13,496 ha

So what?

Source: Cook et al., 2012

Likely spread of BBTV over time with and without an active containment policy in Australia

Source: Cook et al., 2012

Expected annual benefit of BBTV exclusion

“Exclusion benefits of the disease will avoid Aus$15.9-27.0 million in annual losses for the banana industry”

Acknowledgments

Source: www.tinmoitruong.vn

NARS Partners