ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, February 26, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Cassava used to illustrate the story.

Cassava used to illustrate the story.

IITA develops cheaper, faster tool for identifying cassava pest -Report

byMary Izuaka
May 28, 2020
2 min read

Scientists at CGIAR-IITA have developed a more cost and time-effective molecular diagnostic tool that can help identify different subgroups of cassava whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci, accurately, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has announced in a report.

The report published May 27 was on a research by a vector Entomologist at IITA-Tanzania, Everlyne Wosula, in collaboration with researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute at Ithaca, New York and the United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Services (USDA-ARS). The research was also supported by members of the Virus Vector Ecology Group at IITA-Tanzania.

IITA is a non-profit institution that offers leading research partnership that facilitates agricultural solutions to hunger, poverty, and natural resource degradation throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

CGIAR is a global partnership that unites international organisations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.

According to the report, the tool can be used in local laboratories in Africa that often lack expensive sequencing technologies.

“This innovation marks a major milestone in efforts to accurately characterise whiteflies, which transmit viruses that cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), major diseases that have wreaked havoc on Africa’s cassava crop over several decades.

“The combined damage resulting from infection with these two diseases is estimated to cause annual yield losses amounting to 50 per cent in East and Central Africa, equivalent to more than US$1 billion.” the report said

Efforts to control pests and diseases are founded on proper identification.

However, the whitefly is a complex species that requires the use of genetic tools to make accurate identifications.

RelatedNews

Ex-Chief Judge, who issued court order proscribing IPOB, is dead

Gunmen raze another police station in Nigeria’s South-east

PDP in disarray as fraud allegations rock Nigeria’s main opposition party

The Power Of Du’a/Supplications/Prayers, By Murtadha Gusau

The most widely used method has been partial sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI)”.

“This was recently found to be much less effective in identifying cassava whiteflies compared to the more robust single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genotyping method using NextRAD sequencing,” the report said.

According to the report, Mr Wosula made use of the SNP data to develop a cheaper and more rapid diagnostic method using the Komepetitive Allele-Specific (KASP) PCR.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

This breakthrough has been published in a paper “KASP genotyping as a molecular tool for diagnosis of cassava-colonizing Bemisia tabaci” in the ‘Insect’ Journal.

“This is the first time that this method has been used for insect identification.” the report said.

However, the KASP assay method gives reliable results in a day and at a fraction of the cost of sequencing-based methods.

“One hundred fifty-one whitefly specimens, 99.3 per cent collected from cassava from 12 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and tested with KASP, gave the correct identity obtained from the SNP genotyping.

“Therefore, using this method to keep track of potentially dangerous whitefly populations as part of their early warning systems for pests and diseases will be very straightforward for many national laboratories in Africa with limited resources,” Mr Wosula said.

The report added that Mr Wosula previously analysed over 7,453 SNPs occurring across the genomes of cassava-colonising Bemisia tabaci” from Africa NextRAD sequencing.

ADVERTISEMENT

And the research showed the existence of six haplogroups of whitefly species in Africa, designated as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)2, SSA4, SSA-Central Africa, SSA-East and Southern Africa, SSA-West Africa, and SSA-East and Central Africa.

“The findings were published in the paper “Unravelling the genetic diversity among cassava Bemisia tabaci whiteflies using NextRAD sequencing” in the Genome, Biology and Evolution Journal.

“The new KASP diagnostic that has been based on this earlier research is already being used in new research programs to monitor cassava whiteflies in several African countries, although, most of the work is currently being done in the IITA-Tanzania lab,” the report said.

It said Mr Wosula plans to provide training so that the technique can also be added to the tool kits of national research systems and universities across Africa.”

The research was funded by USAID and the Roots, Tubers and Bananas Program (RTB) of CGIAR.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (1)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Ayade’s efforts, not luck, responsible for Cross River’s COVID-19 free status – Commissioner

Next Post

WHO, UNICEF urge mothers to sustain breastfeeding despite COVID-19 fears

Mary Izuaka

Mary Izuaka

More News

Chinonye Ezem

Women in Agriculture: How missing Pharmacy admission helped me – Farmer

February 20, 2021
Nigeria's cassava harvest supplies food but little income for farm families. There has been little investment in improved varieties, in mechanisms for farmers to get their crops to market, or in value-added manufacturing that could underpin economic growth. [PHOTO CREDIT: Elephant Group PLC]

IITA, partners make case for cassava seed system as demand exceeds N10bn

February 18, 2021
Basket of Onions

Food prices fall but farmers union says poor storage risks hike

February 9, 2021
A Farm

FG distributes free inputs to smallholder farmers in Gombe — Minister

February 8, 2021
Chinasa Asonye

Women in Agriculture: How quitting oil servicing job helped me grow — Farmer

February 6, 2021
Soybean [PHOTO CREDIT: World Grain]

Soybean scarcity hits Nigeria poultry industry, forces prices up

February 6, 2021
Next Post
Breastfeeding Photo: The Guardian

WHO, UNICEF urge mothers to sustain breastfeeding despite COVID-19 fears

NHIS donates PPEs to Police Clinic

NHIS donates PPE to Police Clinic

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,625,131 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.