A new review of cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) has just been published – ‘Cassava brown streak disease: historical timeline, current knowledge and future prospects’ by Tomlinson et al.

Cassava is the second most important staple food crop in Africa, however crop productivity is severely constrained viral diseases including CBSD. Traditionally restricted to East Africa, CBSD has recently spread westward across several African countries, affecting the livelihood of many subsistence farmers.

The review reflects on the research history of CSBD and provides insights into current CSBD knowledge including viral epidemiology, sequence diversity, plant host interactions and potential sources of virus resistance within the cassava genome.

Cassava is one of the few crops that may benefit from the effects of climate change and as such it is imperative that we understand how to effectively control CBSD and mitigate its impact on food security.

Cassava brown streak disease: historical timeline, current knowledge and future prospects

Katie R. Tomlinson, Andy M. Bailey, Titus Alicai, Sue Seal and Gary D. Foster