Ammon – Mealybug virus threatens chocolate supply by infecting cocoa trees However, scientists have devised a way to protect the trees from the swollen bud virus.
Chocolate is under threat because of a virus spread by an insect that affects cocoa trees in West Africa.
Bloat bud virus is a disease transmitted by an insect called the mealybug.
These creepy crawlies like to live in hot climates. The virus – described as one of the most environmentally destructive viruses on Earth – has wiped out 50,000 hectares of cocoa farmland in Ghana, the world’s second largest chocolate producer.
However, scientists in Ghana and America believe they have cracked the code and found a new way to stop the virus. At the same time, they aim to save one of the most popular sweets in the world.
Currently, 50% of the world’s chocolate comes from two countries: Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Unfortunately, cocoa trees are severely damaged by these insects.
Ghana has lost more than 254 million cocoa trees in recent years, and about 20 percent of the cocoa crop in Ivory Coast has been affected.
“This virus is a real threat to the global chocolate supply,” said Benito Chen-Charpentier, professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Although the cheapest way to protect trees is to cut down diseased and resistant trees, farmers can also provide vaccination. However, the pollen is expensive and has an indirect effect on the amount of cocoa the tree produces.
The Metro website said that scientists at the University of Kansas, Prairie View A&M, the University of South Florida, and the Cocoa Research Institute in Ghana have devised a new way to treat the virus.
In their opinion, by planting trees at a distance from each other, farmers can prevent food from jumping from tree to tree and spreading the virus.
The researchers used mathematical data to determine the best distance to plant trees to reduce the spread of the virus.
“What we needed to do was create a model for cocoa farmers to know how long they could safely plant unvaccinated trees to prevent the spread of the virus during ‘ they will control the costs of these saplings,” said Chen Charpentier.
“Although these models are still experimental, they are exciting because they will help farmers protect their crops while helping them get better yields. This is good for farmers, as well as our global addiction to chocolate.”
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