Cassava plant protection in Africa

Manihot esculenta Cassava pest problems in Africa have changed dramatically over the last century. Rapidly expanding production and waves of exotic pests have created evolving cassava agroecosystems with changing production constraints. Cassava plant protection activities in Africa began with resistance breeding against African cassava mosaic virus. Cultural manipulations and biological control interventions were implemented later as devastating new pests invaded the continent. Sustainable plant protection strategies should integrate biological control, host plant resistance and cultural practices as needed based on an understanding of the key multi-trophic and multi-disciplinary interactions in the cassava agroecosystem. Knowledge of these key interactions provide the basis for determining production losses, developing appropriate interventions and evaluating subsequent impact While little integration can be found in cassava pest management practices today, there is an increasing awareness of the value of this approach. Plant protection interventions developed and tested by teams of multi-disciplinary scientists with input from extension agents and farmers in an inter-disciplinary manner are most likely to succeed. A regional project to develop sustainable cassava plant protection in West Africa is presented as a model of appropriate cassava plant protection development; Plant protection; Pest control; Mononychellus tanajoa; Phenacoccus manihoti; Prostephanus truncatus; Zonocerus variegatus; Aleurodicus; Pathogens;AfricaManihot esculenta; Protección de las plantas; Control de plagas; Mononychellus tanajoa; Phenacoccus manihoti; Prostephanus truncatus; Zonocerus variegatus; Aleurodicus; Organismos patógenos; AfricaCassava;Yuca; Protección de plantas - Aspectos generales; Enfermedades de las plantas; Articles in proceedings; Artículos en memorias; Plagas de las PlantasProtection of plants - General aspects; Pests of plants; Plant diseases