The Banana Aphid and Banana Bunchy Top Disease: Potential Threats to Banana and Plantain Production in Ghana

Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) is the most destructive viral disease of cultivated Musa species (banana and plantain), which can result in complete yield loss. BBTD is caused by an aphid-transmitted DNA virus, banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), that can spread vegetatively through infected plant material or be vectored by the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa. Ghana is one of Africa’s three major commercial banana producers, with cultivation centred in southern Ghana. Banana and plantain are also important crops for Ghanaian smallholders, for whom these crops can yield income and provide food security. Although BBTV has not yet been detected in Ghana, its vector P. nigronervosa is endemic. Therefore, introduction of BBTV into Ghana would likely result in the rapid dissemination of BBTV, with severe consequences for commercial and smallholder production as BBTD becomes widespread. This case study discusses the biology of BBTD, the technical means needed to maintain vigilance against its potential emergence in Ghana, and measures that would need to be deployed for the control and eventual eradication of BBTD.