The use of biolistic inoculation of cassava mosaic begomoviruses in screening cassava cultivars from Ghana for resistance/susceptibility to cassava mosaic disease

The resistance/susceptibility of 5 cassava cultivars from Ghana to infectious clones of two cassava mosaic viruses (ACMV-[CM] and EACMV/ACMV-[CM]) was investigated in this study. Plantlets ofcassava cultivars were obtained using nodal cuttings initiated from tissue culture. These cassava cultivars were challenged with both DNA A and B components of the infectious clones named above using particle gun bombardment. The cassava cultivars showed varying degrees of susceptibility/resistance to the two infectious clones used. All symptoms of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) observed were systemic in nature. Generally, all cassava cultivars used in this study exhibited varying degrees of recovery from virus infection. This report demonstrates the ability of using biolistic technology to screen cassava cultivars for tolerance/resistance and that it may be used to recommend resistant cultivars to the farming community

The impact of global warming on plant diseases and insect vectors in Sweden

Cold winters and geographic isolation have hitherto protected the Nordic countries from many plant pathogens and insect pests, leading to a comparatively low input of pesticides. The changing climate is projected to lead to a greater rise in temperature in this region, compared to the global mean. In Scandinavia, a milder and more humid climate implies extended growing seasons and possibilities to introduce new crops, but also opportunities for crop pests and pathogens to thrive in the absence of long cold periods. Increased temperatures, changed precipitation patterns and new cultivation practices may lead to a dramatic change in crop health. Examples of diseases and insect pest problems predicted to increase in incidence and severity due to global warming are discussed