Publications by authors named "Edda Mushi"
Cassava ( Crantz) is an essential crop with increasing importance for food supply and as raw material for industrial processing. The crop is vegetatively propagated through stem cuttings taken at the end of the growing cycle and its low multiplication rate and the high cost of stem transportation are detrimental to the increasing demand for high-quality cassava planting materials. Rapid multiplication of vegetative propagules of crops comprises tissue culture (TC) and semi-autotroph hydroponics (SAH) that provide cost-effective propagation of plant materials; however, they contrast the need for specific infrastructure, special media and substrates, and trained personnel.
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- Cassava brown steak disease (CBSD) is a major threat to cassava production in East and Central Africa, caused by two viruses, CBSV and UCBSV.
- A multi-country study aimed to identify and promote cassava cultivars resistant to CBSD across various conditions in Tanzania, where 17 different cultivars were tested.
- Results showed significant differences in CBSD infection rates based on location, with certain resistant cultivars demonstrating less than 20% incidence, while the CBSD was found to be more virulent than UCBSV.
Article Synopsis
- Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is a major threat to cassava production in East and Central Africa, primarily due to the lack of resistant crop varieties, leading farmers to recycle planting materials, which increases disease risk.
- A study conducted in Tanzania from 2013 to 2017 assessed the degeneration of various cassava varieties under high CBSD conditions, revealing that newly planted materials had lower disease incidence compared to recycled ones, especially during the long rains season.
- The research found that overall root yields were significantly higher during the long rains (Masika) compared to the short rains (Vuli), and recycling planting materials resulted in more unusable roots due to CBSD, particularly in the Vuli season.