Super Bananas: Safeguarding Africa’s Crops from Viruses

March 21, 2025

(3 Minutes Read)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is intensifying its efforts to create banana varieties resistant to the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV), a harmful pathogen that can result in complete crop failure. BBTV, transmitted by banana aphids, causes Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD), which significantly hinders banana plant growth and production. Regions such as Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific are heavily impacted, with several African nations, including Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania, experiencing severe outbreaks.

IITA researcher Happyness Mpanda announced a breeding initiative aimed at producing BBTV-resistant banana seedlings. Currently, 72 banana varieties from IITA’s breeding program are being screened, with trials taking place in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to assess their resistance levels. Mpanda noted, “There is no chemical treatment or cure for BBTV. The only effective control is to uproot and destroy infected plants and replant with disease-free seedlings.”

This situation is challenging, as bananas are a crucial food and income source for millions of farmers. Once resistant varieties are identified, they will undergo farm trials in the DRC before being distributed to agricultural research institutions for quick dissemination.

In Tanzania, BBTV has already affected seven regions, including Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, and Kilimanjaro, posing a significant threat to banana farmers. IITA researcher Fatuma Mussa emphasized that while developing resistant varieties is a long-term solution, immediate disease containment actions are necessary, such as:

Destroying infected plants to stop the spread.
Educating farmers on disease management.
Implementing strict regulations on the movement of banana planting material.

Mussa stressed the importance of sourcing seedlings from certified, disease-free suppliers to prevent future outbreaks. Hamadi Lyimo, a researcher with the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), noted that BBTV was first identified in Tanzania in 2020 in Buhigwe District, Kigoma Region, after spreading from Burundi, and has since greatly affected banana production.

To control the spread, researchers are calling on the government to impose restrictions on the movement of planting material. Without action, the banana sector—critical for food security and economic development—remains vulnerable. However, with IITA’s ongoing research and collaboration with local authorities, there is hope for a resilient banana industry in Africa, as the introduction of disease-resistant varieties could offer farmers long-term protection against BBTV’s damaging effects.