Breeding for Resistance to Maize Streak Virus: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach¹

Electrical penetration graphs from Cicadulina spp. and the inoculation of a persistent virus into maize

“…Maize streak virus (MSV) disease is a sporadic but severe disease of maize in sub-Saharan Africa and is caused by a geminivirus which is persistently transmitted by Cicadulina leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in a circulative manner (Efron et al, 1989). The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) has undertaken a major project to obtain information about the epidemiology of the disease, particularly the biology of the vectors and their interactions with the virus and host plants in order to develop strategies to control MSV disease.…”

Maize research and production in Nigeria

“…They are maize rust, leaf blight, maize streak, downy mildew, maize mottle/chlorotic stunt, Curvularia leaf spot, stalk and ear rots. In order to make maize farming economically feasible, resistant lines were bred (Van Eijnatten, 1963;Fajemisin et al, 1978;Efron et al, 1989) and made available to farmers. With these efforts, maize streak, smut and rust have been kept under control.…”

The ecology of tropical plant viruses

“…Such detailed epidemiological studies are only now being undertaken elsewhere in Africa where the altitudes and agro-ecologies are very different from those in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, the main approach to control has been through the development of resistant varieties (Efron et al 1989). These have been produced at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (UTA) in Nigeria and elsewhere and have been effective in many parts of Africa.…”