Abstract            Volume:14  Issue-1  Year-2026         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Bunchy Top Disease is the most devastating viral disease affecting banana plants. This study evaluates the epidemiological parameters (severity, prevalence and incidence) of Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) after inoculation of different doses of Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) on four banana varieties in a controlled environment. The varieties tested include two dessert bananas, Fougamou (ABB) and Gros Michel (AAA), and two plantains, Elate (AAB) and Ebang (AAB). The plants, propagated using the PIF (Plants from Stem Fragments) method, were inoculated with a pure (100%) inoculum and a 50% dilution. The parameters of severity, prevalence, incidence and weekly leaf growth were monitored for 15 weeks. The results show a dose-response relationship in the expression of symptoms. At 100% inoculum, the Ebang, Elate and Gros Michel varieties showed increased severity, with a predominance of high symptom levels (levels 2 and 3). Fougamou stood out for its marked resistance, developing only mild symptoms (level 1) at high doses and maintaining significantly higher leaf growth than the other varieties. Total prevalence increases rapidly between weeks S10 and S14 (from 12.5% to 75%) and then stabilises. No symptoms are observed during the first nine weeks, indicating a latent period, followed by a sharp increase in incidence, reaching 75% (50% dose) and 79.17% (100% dose) at W15.The study confirms the high susceptibility of AAA (Gros Michel) varieties and reveals an unexpected susceptibility of AAB (Elate and Ebang) plantains in the context of this study. Fougamou (ABB) emerges as a tolerant variety with potential for varietal selection and sustainable management of BBTD. These results provide essential quantitative data on the infectious dynamics of BBTV and highlight the importance of viral dose and genetic background in disease expression.

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