Towards the Integrated Management of Wilt of Banana.

This Special Issue contains a selection of papers dealing with wilt of banana (FWB), with a special focus on the strain Tropical Race 4 (TR4), and explores (1) options for effective integrated management strategies, (2) the detection and development of disease-resistant cultivars, and (3) the distribution and diversity of the pathogen [...

First evidence on the occurrence of multi-mycotoxins and dietary risk exposure to AFB1 along the cassava value chain in Uganda.

This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of multiple mycotoxins (aflatoxin B, B, G, G, fumonisins B, B, ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and citrinin (CIT)) in cassava products and as assessed the potential risk of aflatoxin B1 (AFB) exposure among cassava consumers. A total of 192 samples of cassava products (96 flour and 96 chips, each with 48 samples from farmer and 48 from wholesaler) were analysed using LC/MS-MS. All positive samples irrespective of their origin (flour or chips) exhibited AFB levels exceeding the EU regulatory threshold of 5 µg/kg.

Potential Impact of Current Agricultural Practices on Mycotoxin Occurrence and Mycotoxin Knowledge Along the Cassava Value Chain in Uganda.

Cassava is the second most important staple food crop for Uganda and is prone to contamination with mycotoxins. This study aimed at understanding the current agricultural practices, their potential influence on mycotoxin occurrence, as well as assessing mycotoxin knowledge among key cassava value chain actors, including farmers, wholesalers, and processors. Data were collected through individual interviews (210), key informant interviews (34), and 4 focus group discussions.

A Global Assessment of the State of Plant Health.

The Global Plant Health Assessment (GPHA) is a collective, volunteer-based effort to assemble expert opinions on plant health and disease impacts on ecosystem services based on published scientific evidence. The GPHA considers a range of forest, agricultural, and urban systems worldwide. These are referred to as (Ecoregion × Plant System), i.

Corrigendum to "A highly specific tool for identification of Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum based on five Xvm-specific coding sequences" [Heliyon 4 (12) (December 2018) Article e01080].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Influence of altitude as a proxy for temperature on key pests and diseases in watershed areas of Burundi and Rwanda.

Pests and diseases are key biotic constraints limiting banana production among smallholder farmers in Eastern and Central Africa. Climate changemay favour pest and disease development and further exacerbate the vulnerability of smallholder farming systems to biotic constraints. Information on effects of climate change on pests and pathogens of banana is required byby policy makers and researchers in designing control strategies and adaptation plans.

First Report of Causing Dieback Symptoms on Plantain ( AAB subgroup) in Nigeria.

Bananas (banana and plantains) rank sixth among staple food crops (FAO 2018), with production challenged by biotic factors, mainly fungal diseases that may cause a total loss in some orchards (Jones 2018). In April 2017, dieback symptoms (progressive blackening and necrotic aerial plant parts, leaves, fruits and peduncles) were observed on plantain ( AAB subgroup), in Onne, Rivers State, Nigeria (4°42'55.4012″N, 7°10'35.

Geographical Distribution and Genetic Diversity of the Banana Fusarium Wilt Fungus in Laos and Vietnam.

Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus f. sp. (Foc), poses a major threat to global banana production.

Sources of resistance to , the cause of black Sigatoka in banana.

Black Sigatoka, caused by , is one of the most devastating diseases of banana. In commercial banana-growing systems, black Sigatoka is primarily managed by fungicides. This mode of disease management is not feasible for resource-limited smallholder farmers.

Comparative Transcriptome and Expression Profiling of Resistant and Susceptible Banana Cultivars during Infection by .

wilt caused by f. sp. (Foc) is one of the most destructive diseases of banana.

Prevalence of Aflatoxin- and Fumonisin-Producing Fungi Associated with Cereal Crops Grown in Zimbabwe and Their Associated Risks in a Climate Change Scenario.

In most sub-Saharan African countries, staple cereal grains harbor many fungi and some produce mycotoxins that negatively impact health and trade. Maize and three small grain cereals (sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet) produced by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe during 2016 and 2017 were examined for fungal community structure, and total aflatoxin (AF) and fumonisin (FM) content. A total of 800 maize and 180 small grain samples were collected at harvest and during storage from four agroecological zones.

Genetic Diversity and Mating Type Distribution of on Banana in Uganda and Tanzania.

Black Sigatoka, caused by , is a major foliar disease of banana and plantain worldwide. There are few available data regarding the genetic diversity and population structure of the pathogen in East Africa, which are needed to design effective and durable disease management strategies. We genotyped 319 single-spore isolates of .

Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group.

During the last decade, there have been many advances in research and technology that have greatly contributed to expanded capabilities and knowledge in detection and measurement, characterization, biosynthesis, and management of mycotoxins in maize. MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, was established to advance knowledge and technology transfer around the globe to address mycotoxin impacts in key food and feed chains. MycoKey included several working groups comprising international experts in different fields of mycotoxicology.

Evaluation of Mchare and Matooke Bananas for Resistance to f. sp. Race 1.

Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus f. sp. (Foc) race 1, is a major disease of bananas in East Africa.

Unlocking the Microbiome Communities of Banana ( spp.) under Disease Stressed ( wilt) and Non-Stressed Conditions.

We assessed the diversity, structure, and assemblage of bacterial and fungal communities associated with banana plants with and without f. sp. (Foc) symptoms.

Functional Biology and Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions for Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnut ( L.) and Maize ( L.).

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by soilborne saprophytic fungus and closely related species that infect several agricultural commodities including groundnut and maize. The consumption of contaminated commodities adversely affects the health of humans and livestock. Aflatoxin contamination also causes significant economic and financial losses to producers.

Metagenomic Insights of the Root Colonizing Microbiome Associated with Symptomatic and Non-Symptomatic Bananas in Wilt Infected Fields.

Plants tissues are colonized by diverse communities of microorganisms called endophytes. They are key determinants of plant production and health, for example by facilitating nutrient exchanges or limiting disease development. Endophytic communities of banana plants have not been studied until very recently, and their potential role in disease development has not been explored so far.

Transfer of pv. and pv. to (Vauterin) as pv. comb. nov. and pv. comb. nov. and Description of pv. pv. nov.

We present an amended description of the bacterial species to include the causative agent of banana wilt, as well as strains that cause disease on palm, grass, sugarcane, and maize. Genome-sequence data reveal that these strains all share more than 98% average nucleotide with each other and with the type strain. Our analyses and proposals should help to resolve the taxonomic confusion that surrounds some of these pathogens and help to prevent future use of invalid names.

Distribution of species causing Sigatoka leaf diseases of banana in Uganda and Tanzania.

Sigatoka leaf diseases are a major constraint to banana production. A survey was conducted in Tanzania and Uganda to assess the distribution of species and severity of Sigatoka leaf diseases. species were identified using species-specific primers.

Genome of the African cassava whitefly Bemisia tabaci and distribution and genetic diversity of cassava-colonizing whiteflies in Africa.

The whitefy Bemisia tabaci, a species complex consisting of many morphologically indistinguishable species divided into distinct clades, is one of the most globally important agricultural pests and plant virus vectors. Cassava-colonizing B. tabaci transmits viruses that cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD).

A new Multi Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Analysis Scheme for epidemiological surveillance of Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum, the plant pathogen causing bacterial wilt on banana and enset.

Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm) which causes Xanthomonas wilt (XW) on banana (Musa accuminata x balbisiana) and enset (Ensete ventricosum), is closely related to the species Xanthomonas vasicola that contains the pathovars vasculorum (Xvv) and holcicola (Xvh), respectively pathogenic to sugarcane and sorghum. Xvm is considered a monomorphic bacterium whose intra-pathovar diversity remains poorly understood.

Pre-harvest management is a critical practice for minimizing aflatoxin contamination of maize.

Maize, the main dietary staple in Kenya, is one of the crops most susceptible to contamination by aflatoxin. To understand sources of aflatoxin contamination for home grown maize, we collected 789 maize samples from smallholder farmers' fields in Eastern and South Western, two regions in Kenya representing high and low aflatoxin risk areas, respectively, and determined aflatoxin B (AFB) using ELISA with specific polyclonal antibodies. AFB was detected in 274 of the 416 samples from Eastern Kenya at levels between 0.

A highly specific tool for identification of pv. based on five Xvm-specific coding sequences.

pv. (Xvm) is a bacterial pathogen responsible for the economically important wilt disease on banana and enset crops in Sub-Saharan Africa. Given that the symptoms are similar to those of other diseases, molecular diagnosis is essential to unambiguously identify this pathogen and distinguish it from closely related strains not pathogenic on these hosts.