4 research outputs found
Impact of the Seasons on the Evolution of Tomato-infecting Geminivirus and Identification of Plant Reservoirs Harboring Geminivirus in Burkina Faso
No full textGeminiviruses are known as responsible for huge damage to vegetable crops in many tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. In Burkina Faso, tomato was reported as the most infected vegetable crop with the involvement of several geminivirus species despite its socioeconomic importance. This suggests and underlines the pressing need for additional information on virus population evolution (diversity, prevalence, and host plant reservoirs). Thus, to address this problem, surveys and sample collection were carried out in three localities in Burkina Faso (Goué, Léguéma, and Toussiana). Tomato leaves and those of cultivated and non-cultivated plants around the tomato fields were collected. The total DNA extracted from these samples was subjected to diagnosis based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol with or without amplicon sequencing. Results showed that depending on the season and locality, the prevalence of the disease varied from 0 to 53.33% and that of the virus species varied from 0 to 76.67%. The highest prevalence was observed in the dry season. In addition, PepYVMLV was the virus that was widely detected in all three localities in the rainy (18.89%) and dry (52.22%) seasons. The DNA-B molecule associated with this virus was associated with other begomoviruses (ToLCMLV). In addition, out of 200 samples collected in the vicinity of the tomato fields, only 63 were positive based on PCR diagnosis. Amplicon sequencing yielded 63 partial sequences of virus from ten plant species, including six non-cultivated species. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the 63 partial sequences belonged to three phylogenetic groups (the ToLCV group, the PepYVMLV group, and the CLCuGV group). This study allowed a better understanding of the evolution of tomato leaf curl/yellow disease in Burkina Faso and the diversity of plant species serving as reservoirs for involved viruses. This constitutes an important step in the search for adequate control methods
Incidence and Severity of Taro Leaf Blight (Phytophthora colocasiae Raciborski) in the Sudanian Climatic Zone of Burkina Faso
No full textTaro leaf blight is considered the most destructive disease affecting taro worldwide. In the Sudanian climatic zone of Burkina Faso, the disease has led to a consistent decline in taro production over recent years.
Aims: The current research study was aimed to determine the incidence and the severity of taro leaf blight in various taro fields in three provinces of the sudanian climate zone.
Methodology: Plant growing conditions were assessed in 27 fields. Data on healthy and diseased plants, and leaves per plant, were collected within 64 m² quadrats. Disease incidence was the percentage of infected plants per field. Severity was rated on a 12-point scale (0–11) and converted to percentage of affected leaf area, averaged over 10 plants per field. Infestation intensity was calculated as the ratio of infected to total leaves per plant.
Place and Duration of Study: Surveys were conducted in fields across the provinces of Houet, Kénédougou, and Comoé between June and July 2021.
Results: Phytophthora colocasiae was morphologically identified from diseased taro samples based on the shape of sporangia, mycelial structure, colony characteristics, and the presence of chlamydospores, revealing morphological variability. The results showed that the disease was widespread across all three surveyed provinces, with notable differences in severity. The local variety Tabouchi, which is highly susceptible to leaf blight, was found in 88.88% of the surveyed fields. In contrast, the exotic variety BL/SM/120, known for its higher tolerance to the disease, was grown by only a minority of farmers. Disease incidence and intensity exceeded 50% in all provinces, with Kénédougou recording the highest severity (31.85%), followed by Houet (20.21%), and Comoé with the lowest (13.80%).
Conclusion: These results indicate that leaf blight constrains taro cultivation in these provinces. They also lay the groundwork for developing effective control strategies to safeguard taro production in the Sudanian climate zone of Burkina Faso
Endemic diseases and agricultural productivity: Challenges and policy response
Get PDFContrary to Asian countries, the agricultural sector in Africa had not benefited from the green revolution success. After a long time of disinterest in the agriculture sector in Africa, several voices arise now in favour of greater efforts towards this sector. Several studies tend to show the crucial role of agriculture in African countries’ growth and highlight the huge need of increasing the productivity in this sector. If increase in agriculture productivity requires both an expansion of irrigated areas and the adoption of high yield varieties, those innovations and their high development could be the source of negative health (and environmental) effects. Using a mega-analysis, this paper highlights first the links between health, disease and development and then agricultural productivity. The literature review shows that the negative effect of bad health was not systematically checked, and that the intensity of this effect depends of the disease, but also of the work productivity and the existence or not of a coping process. The second part of the paper focused on the development of high intensive agriculture as a risk factor for farmers’ and rural inhabitants’ health. This survey shows that whether irrigation and fertilizer and pest intensive use could be considered as highly health (and environmental) risk factors, appropriate control measures (such as for examples systematic maintenance of irrigation canals, alternate wetting and drying of irrigated fields or integrated pest management) considerably reduce this risk, while at the same time, increase the agriculture productivity.agriculture, productivity, endemic disease, health risk factor, Africa
Effect of Sorghum bicolor mycorrhizae on development of tomato in nursery
Get PDFTomato is one of the most important vegetable crops in Burkina Faso. Nevertheless, tomato production is confronted with numerous biotic and abiotic constraints. So, it is essential to find ways of boosting its production, starting at the nursery. In nurseries, the use of mycorrhizal fungi can be an effective means of obtaining vigorous and healthy seedlings. This study was carried out with the aim of assessing the impact of endogenous mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and biomass of tomato in nursery. To do so, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), known as a hypermycotrophic plant, was used for inoculum production of mycorrhizal fungi. In addition, the effect of direct association of sorghum and tomato was studied. The results showed that the application of mycorrhizal fungi from the inoculum significantly improved the emergence, growth and leafing of tomato in the nursery during experimentation. A height of 5.75 cm was observed in mycorrhizal plants as compared to 3.23 cm for non-mycorrhizal control plants. It was also shown that adding mycorrhizal inoculum to the seeds was much more effective than the direct association in the field with the sorghum plant and tomato. The results showed that endogenous mycorrhizal fungi significantly improved the emergence, plant height, leaf formation and biomass production of tomato plants
