Suakoko, Bong County - Data analyzed by the team of researchers conducting a flagship research project ongoing at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), has found that cassava mosaic virus is present in Liberia.

Daniel Tokpa-Dokie, project focal point, says of the 980 leaf samples and 340 white flies collected from the surveyed areas across the country, team extracted 640 leaf samples and ran a PCR on 175. After the establishment of the trail fields, results obtained by the team have confirmed the existence of cassava mosaic virus in Liberia. “Both cassava mosaic virus and the cassava brown streak virus are transmitted by the vector or the carrier known as the whitefly,” according to the project focal point.

With whitefly samples collected from the 15 political subdivisions of Liberia, Tokpa-Dokie, who is also the lead pathologist at CARI, asserts that the essence of the survey is to identify cassava growing areas in Liberia, confirm and validate which region is concentrated with cassava; collect information on the varieties of cassava, identify some varieties that are resistant, and others that are susceptible.

Launched in 2023, and funded by the Gates Foundation, the project collected more data during the virus epidemiology research which identified two strains, cassava mosaic and brown streak viruses. During the hands-on molecular analysis training at the WAVE headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, to phenotype and genotype the crop in the region, the facilitators reveal that since cassava mosaic virus is present in Sierra Leone and Guinea, the project in Liberia would identify measures pending results from the visit of the team of experts to the country. Sponsored by the Central and West Africa Virus Epidemiology (WAVE), in collaboration with CARI, the project is led by Daniel Tokpa-Dokie, project focal point representing CARI, and co-facilitated by Oliver Tikpeh, a plant pathologist representing the University of Liberia.

In an overview, project focal point declares that since cassava is a main staple in the world, the presence of the virus is a threat to cassava production, especially food security in general. “Cardinal to the objective is to identify and confirm the presence of disease in Liberia to inform partners to mitigate, if not contain the virus.”

During the four-day collection of genotyped data, the researchers dried the leaves and later sent it to Kenya for further analysis. Kenya then sent the DNA to Australia for gene sequencing while harvest data for year one and two crop seasons were being collected from the trail fields at CARI. The team completed the collection of addition datasets on upper biomass, underground, as well as bio cutting. Earlier at year one, the team collected data on the branches and tubers to determine the branching and growth characteristics of the plant.

Divided into northeastern and southeastern, the teams collected gene samples across the country. The southeastern team collected data in the counties of Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Maryland, Grand Kru, Sinoe, River Cess and Grand Bassa, while the northeastern team collected from Margibi, Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Montserrado counties.