EVENT: Bayliss Seminar Series: Tonny Kinene

The cassava plant which millions of families in East Africa depend on for there daily calories is under attack by the African cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci which is a small sap sucking insect causing extensive damage to major food staples in all parts of the world. B. tabaci is a species complex composed of at least 34 species that are morphologically distinct, a few of these species are superabundant and are vectoring cassava viruses in East Africa. The diversity of B. tabaci in East Africa is poorly understood therefore, in this study we investigate the genetic variability of B. tabaci present in East Africa to address the following questions: (1) How many species are present in East Africa? (2) Is there a genetic signature associated with the superabundant species? (3) Which species are vectoring Cassava Brown Streak Virus (CBSV), Uganda Cassava Brown Streak Virus (UCBSV) and Cassava Mosaic Geminiviruses (CMGs)? The results of this study are highly needed by cassava breeders to breed resistant cassava varieties.   Keywords: B. tabaci, cassava viruses, rates of evolution.