Ibadan, Nigeria – Research work by IITA and partners on the banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) disease has been featured in the latest, May 2009 (Volume No. 93), issue of Plant Disease, an international peer-reviewed journal of Applied Plant Pathology produced by the American Phytopathological Society (APS).
Entitled “Xanthomonas Wilt: A threat to banana production in East and Central Africa”, the colorfully-illustrated and image-filled article comprehensively describes the current state of BXW research and methods of control, focusing on the practical aspects of its diagnosis and treatment. Specifically, the feature covered the disease’s economic and social impact, causal organism, symptoms, diagnosis, epidemiology, susceptibility of commonly-grown cultivars, and control and management strategies.
The article was collaboratively written by Leena Tripathi, Maina Mwangi, Steffen Abele and Ranajit B andyopadhyay of IITA, and Valentine Aritua and Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe of the National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Kaw anda, Kampala, Ug anda. The online and downloadable (PDF) version of the feature could be accessed from the Plant Disease Journal section of the APS website.
Tripathi, corresponding author, says that “the article is an important step in promoting collaborative work on BXW – a crop disease that is threatening the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa. The feature presents detailed review of what we and our partners have done so far in describing the disease and developing control strategies against it. The article raises awareness about the disease with the hope of getting more support for anti-BXW work and, in the long-run, help mitigate its impact on affected farmers and their households”.
Plant Disease is the leading international journal for rapid reporting of research on new diseases, epidemics, and methods of disease control. It covers basic and applied research, which focuses on practical aspects of disease diagnosis and treatment. Feature articles summarize current information on specific diseases. It is ranked in the top 10 journals for impact on research and teaching efforts in the crop sciences according to Literature of Crop Science, a project published by Cornell University press. Plant Disease is published by APS, an international scientific organization that promotes the study of plant diseases and their control through publications, meetings, symposia, workshops, and its network APSnet.
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For more information, please contact:
Dr Leena Tripathi, l.tripathi@cgiar.org
Biotechnologist
IITA-Ug anda
Dr Steffen Abele, s.abele@cgiar.org
Director
IITA-Tanzania
Dr Ranajit B andyopadhyay, r.b andyopadhyay@cgiar.org
Plant Pathologist
IITA-Nigeria
Jeffrey T Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA-Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
Related site:
Banana and Plantain Systems program overview
Other IITA projects on banana and plantain:
Bacterial Wilt Resistance Programme in East African highl and Bananas (Phase II)
Banana tissue culture
Improving Rural Livelihood in Southern Africa – CGIAR Consortium
IPM CRSP – The International Plant Diagnostic Network (IPDN)
Programme de relance de la recherche agricole et forestiere en RDC
About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization established in1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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