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Cassava Mosaic Disease CMD and Its Whitefly Vector in Sierra Leone: Incidence, Severity and Whitefly Population from Field Surveys in 2020
Research Article - Volume: 1, Issue: 1, 2025 (August)
Cassava Mosaic Disease CMD and Its Whitefly Vector in Sierra Leone: Incidence, Severity and Whitefly Population from Field Surveys in 2020 Download PDF

Alusaine Edward Samura1*, Vandi Amara1*, Musa Decius Saffa1 , Raymonda Johnson1 and Alieu Mohamed Bah2*

1Department of Crop Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba District.
2Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba District.

*Correspondence to: Alusaine Edward Samura1* , Vandi Amara1* and Alieu Mohamed Bah2*   1Department of Crop Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba District; 2Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba District.
Received: July 14, 2025; Manuscript No: JPPG-25-2949; Editor Assigned: July 16, 2025; PreQc No: JPPG-25-2949(PQ); 
Reviewed: July 30, 2025; Revised: August 06, 2025; Manuscript No: JPPG-25-2949(R); Published: August 28, 2025

ABSTRACT

The role played by cassava is vital in ensuring food security and bolstering the economy in Sierra Leone. However, the production of this crop has been hindered by cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Despite CMD being the most devastating cassava disease, a comprehensive study or survey assessing its prevalence in Sierra Leone is still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the status of CMD and its whitefly vector in the country. In 2020, a field disease assessment survey was conducted, following a standardized protocol for sampling, diagnostics, and data storage, which was coordinated across 10 West and Central African countries for comparative purposes. The survey covered 268 fields, with 30 plants assessed per field for CMD severity, whitefly population, and sources of infection. The findings revealed the presence of CMD across all five regions and sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. Out of the 8,018 plants assessed, only 896 (11.17%) were found to be asymptomatic (healthy). At the farm level, only 6 (2.23%) farms were classified as healthy. The mean CMD incidence throughout the country was 88.38%, with the highest severity scores observed in the North (3.30), South (3.30), Northwest (3.09), and East regions (3.33). The lowest severity score was recorded in the Western Area region, contributing to the country's overall mean severity score. Cutting-borne infection was identified as the primary source of CMD infection across the country. Additionally, each assessed field had an average mean whitefly count of 4.64. Significant negative relationships were found between CMD incidence and whitefly abundance, while the relationship between CMD severity and whitefly numbers was negative but not statistically significant. PCR screening of 224 samples detected various viruses, including ACMV-like and EACMV-like viruses, both as single infections and co-infections. This study complements previous survey studies of CMD conducted throughout Sierra Leone, providing detailed insights that can contribute to improving intervention and management strategies for CMD in the country.

Keywords: Manihot esculenta; Cassava Mosaic Begomoviruses; Bemisia tabaci; Sierra Leone

Citation: Samura A, Bah AM (2025). Cassava Mosaic Disease CMD and Its Whitefly Vector in Sierra Leone: Incidence, Severity and Whitefly Population from Field Surveys in 2020. J Plant Pathol. Vol.1 Iss.1, August (2025), pp:16-25.
Copyright: © 2025 Samura A, Bah AM. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.