Effect of Cassava Mosaic Disease on Successive Ratooning

2012

English

Regenerated plants from six cassava varieties, ‘Afisiafi’, ‘Agbelifia’, ‘Sika bankye’, ‘Doku duade’ and ‘Bosomensia’ and ‘Debor’, established in 2008 were successively ratooned in 2009 and 2010, and evaluated for incidence and severity of cassava mosaic diseases in 2009 and 2010, respectively in replicated trials at Fumesua (Forest ecozone) and Ejura (Forest-transition ecozone) of Ghana. Disease observations in the field were confirmed with laboratory diagnostics using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) and East African cassava mosaic virus were detected on all the cultivars either as single infections or as mixtures. The detection of EACMV on cassava at Fumesua and Ejura is the first to be reported in the Ashanti region of Ghana. In 2008, Afisiafi and Bosomensia showed susceptibility to mosaic disease at both Fumesua and Ejura. Doku duade and Agbelifia showed some level of resistance while Sika bankye showed tolerance to the disease. Disease assessment on all the cassava cultivars in the field in 2009 and 2010 showed higher incidence and severity of mosaic disease on mother plants of Afisiafi and Bosomensia successively retooned in 2009 and 2010 compared with that of Doku duade, Agbelifia and Sika bankye at both Fumesua and Ejura. Results of the two year study clearly indicate that only resistant cassava cultivars should be used as mother plants for any sustainable production of healthy planting materials through retooning.

Lamptey, J. N. L.; Quain, M. D.; Kyere, E. O.; Ribeiro, P. F.; Prempeh, R.; Abrokwa, L.