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Researchers from half a dozen West African states have united to fight against what 39; an expert calls a plant-root "Ebola" – a viral disease that could destroy the staple food of the region and condemn
Their enemy: cbadava brown streak disease (CBSD), a virus cbadava, also known as cbadava, which in some countries of the region is consumed by 80% of the population.
Root Disease was first discovered in Tanzania eight decades ago and is gradually shifting to the west. "In Central Africa, it has eliminated 90 to 100% of cbadava production – it is now heading to West Africa." Justin Pita, head of the research program, said at the conference. AFP: "It's a very big threat, it must be taken very seriously."
In Uganda, 3,000 people died of hunger in the 1990s after the dreaded. the disease appeared, hitting the small farmers
"We can call it the Ebola of cbadava," says Pita.
WAVE project (West African Virus Epidemiology), a multi-million dollar project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to:
Based in Bingerville, on the outskirts of the Ivorian economic capital Abidjan, it brings together six countries from West Africa – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Togo – as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo
We already know a lot about the CBSD – It is generally believed that the virus is spread by an insect called silver leaf whitefly, as well as by cuttings taken from infected plants.
knowledge of the specific vulnerabilities of West Africa to the disease.
These include understanding the sensitivity of local cbadava strains to the virus and identifying points in the cbadava trade that may contribute to a localized CBSD outbreak.
The program will also examine initiatives to increase yields – a major challenge in a region where population growth is booming
"The current average yield of cbadava [in West Africa] is 10 to 12 tonnes per hectare [four to 4.8 tonnes per acre] but it could reach 40 tonnes per hectare, "said Odile Attanbado, Benin's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
"In Asia they have yields of 22 tons per hectare."
"Attieke is our husband"
The WAVE project, however, hopes to go beyond laboratory and test fields
It also wants to harness the power of leaders and community leaders to spread awareness of CBSD and promote better farming practices , such as confining and destroying crops in infested areas and prohibiting the transport of cbadava cuttings. "We kings and traditional chiefs are the interface between the people and the government," said Amon Tanoe, the ceremonial monarch of Grand Bbadam Coastal Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast is a huge consumer of cbadava – the starchy root is typically pulped and fermented and served in an accompanying dish called Attieke.
In Affery, a large cbadava producing area about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the economic capital Abidjan, Attieke manufacturers said they were deeply concerned about the threat of CBSD. "1965 Attieke is our husband," said Nathalie Monet Apo, head of the Attieke Producers' Association, stressing how the "If the disease manifests itself, it would be dramatic for our families and our community."
" They have to find a cure for this disease – it's thanks to the cultivation of cbadava I am able to provide an education to my four children, "said Blandine Yapo Sopi, harvesting a mound of harvested cbadava that, she hoped, would bring back 450,000 CFA francs (about 700 euros, about 800 dollars).
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