article · Discover Agriculture
This review examines the significant threat posed by microbial pathogens and parasites, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, to cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights substantial yield losses caused by specific pathogens: Fusarium graminearum can cause 30–70% losses in wheat, while Fusarium verticillioides accounts for 13–70% of maize yield losses. Magnaporthe oryzae has led to up to 48% rice yield losses, and C. zeina causes 65% maize yield loss in South Africa. Other threats include maize streak virus, which can cause 30–100% losses, and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, responsible for 10–50% rice yield losses. Nematodes like Pratylenchus spp. also contribute to maize yield reductions. The review discusses the current and future impact of these pathogens in the context of climate change and emphasises the need for more simulation studies.
Cereal crops are fundamental for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, but they are under constant threat from various pathogens. Understanding these threats and their potential intensification due to climate change is crucial for developing effective strategies to protect yields and ensure a stable food supply for the region.
This review article identifies significant agricultural problems, specifically crop losses due to pathogens in cereals across Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it primarily calls for more simulation studies on pathogen impact under climate change scenarios. The abstract does not indicate a direct application pathway, product, or specific technology ready for commercialisation.
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Abstract In Sub-Saharan Africa, cereals are threatened by stress-inducing microbial pathogens and parasites such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes leading to significant losses. Mycotoxin-producing fungi like Fusarium graminearum induce head blight disease causing 30–70% of yield losses in wheat. In comparison, Fusarium verticillioides accounts for ear rot diseases that account for 13–70% of maize yield losses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Outbreaks of the devastating rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae have caused up to 48% yield losses of rice in Kenya. The grey leaf spot fungus, C. zeina , gradually becomes a threat to maize production, causing a 65% yield loss in South Africa. Maize smut and ergot-causing pathogens, Sporisorium ehrenbergii and Claviceps africana , under mildly humid and cold climatic conditions, impact grain quality and market value. The maize streak virus predominantly ravages maize fields all over Sub-Saharan Africa causing 30–100% yield losses while the diseases caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae has led to 10 to 50% yield losses in rice production. In Nigeria, nematode pathogens like Pratylenchus spp have been reported to cause yield losses of up to 27% in maize production. This review fundamentally discusses these cereal pathogens and their current and future impact in the face of climate change in Africa. We seriously emphasize the need for more simulation studies on each of these pathogens across Sub-Saharan Africa and their potential impact under current and future climate change scenarios.
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DOI: 10.1007/s44279-024-00040-3
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