The Genetics, Biotechnology, and Seed Science Unit (GBioS) of the University of Abomey-Calavi is proud to announce the successful defense of Dr. Mary Emeraghi’s PhD thesis. We warmly congratulate Dr. Emeraghi on this outstanding academic achievement and welcome her to the esteemed community of doctors.
Dr. Emeraghi’s research, entitled “Current status of maize streak virus disease incidence and field response of selected resistant hybrids in Benin,” provides groundbreaking insights into one of the most serious threats to maize production in the region.
Her thesis aimed to:
- Review decades of research on maize streak virus disease (MSVD) and its causative agent to identify genomic resources that can be leveraged in conventional breeding programs for sustainable disease control.
- Provide baseline data on the nationwide incidence of MSVD for plant health professionals while assessing current management strategies used by smallholder farmers;
- Utilize host plant resistance to develop stable, high-yielding MSVD-resistant hybrid varieties to ensure sustainable maize production in Benin.
Dr. Emeraghi’s research produced several significant outcomes:
Genomic Insights: Identification of unique genomic regions through a systematic literature review that confer maize streak virus recovery resistance, useful for marker-assisted selection following marker development.
Disease Prevalence: Detection of high MSVD incidence in over 70% of sampled fields and discovery of other significant maize-associated viruses, including the first report of maize yellow mosaic virus occurrence in Benin.
Farmer Awareness Gaps: Evidence of low awareness of MSVD control methods among maize farmers nationwide, combined with limited adoption of tolerant open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) and the absence of improved hybrid maize in Benin’s maize production system.
Resistant Hybrid Development: Development of new streak-resistant topcross maize hybrids with at least 13% higher grain yield compared to adapted OPVs, with strong potential for commercialization by local seed enterprises.
Promising Varieties for the Future: Promotion of four promising hybrids with high yield stability for possible replacement of outdated OPVs in Benin.
This research marks a major step forward in sustainable maize production and provides valuable resources for plant health professionals, breeders, and policymakers.
Congratulations once again to Dr. Mary Emeraghi for this important contribution to agricultural research and food security in Benin!
