Spatial dynamics and hidden spread of banana bunchy top disease in Benin

Abstract

Introduction: Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD), caused by the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and transmitted by the aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa, poses a growing threat to banana production in West Africa, often resulting in 100% yield loss in infected plantations. Yet its epidemiological dynamics remain poorly known. Current management in Benin relies on visual symptom identification and informal seed networks, both of which are vulnerable to the pathogen’s prolonged latency.