Satellite Symposium 5: Molecular Breeding
Description
Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) is a cultivated elephant grass native to Eastern and Central Africa forming the major livestock feed on East African smallholder dairy farms (Valk, 1990) as it is suitable for cut and carry zero-grazing management systems. Although several plant pathogens have been described historically they were seldom severe. However, in the 1970s there was an outbreak of snow mould fungal disease caused by Beniowskia spheroidea that attacked most varieties of napier grass. A napier grass variety (clone 13) was bred which is resistant to the disease. In the 1990s two major outbreaks of napier grass diseases occurred in Kenya. In Central Kenya a napier grass head smut caused by Ustilago kamerunensis H Sydow and Sydow in 1992 and in Western Kenya a napier grass stunting disease was first reported in Bungoma in 1997. A similar stunting disease had been reported in Uganda (Tilley, 1969), which was suspected to be a virus transmitted by insects. This new outbreak of napier grass stunting disease is of major concern as it attacks all varieties of napier grass. The main objective of this study was to survey the extent of the disease and to identify the organism causing this disease.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
A New Napier Grass Stunting Disease in Kenya Associated With Phytoplasma
Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) is a cultivated elephant grass native to Eastern and Central Africa forming the major livestock feed on East African smallholder dairy farms (Valk, 1990) as it is suitable for cut and carry zero-grazing management systems. Although several plant pathogens have been described historically they were seldom severe. However, in the 1970s there was an outbreak of snow mould fungal disease caused by Beniowskia spheroidea that attacked most varieties of napier grass. A napier grass variety (clone 13) was bred which is resistant to the disease. In the 1990s two major outbreaks of napier grass diseases occurred in Kenya. In Central Kenya a napier grass head smut caused by Ustilago kamerunensis H Sydow and Sydow in 1992 and in Western Kenya a napier grass stunting disease was first reported in Bungoma in 1997. A similar stunting disease had been reported in Uganda (Tilley, 1969), which was suspected to be a virus transmitted by insects. This new outbreak of napier grass stunting disease is of major concern as it attacks all varieties of napier grass. The main objective of this study was to survey the extent of the disease and to identify the organism causing this disease.
