Development of an in-field CSSV assay for CDI and Ghana

Cocoa beans are the key raw material in chocolate manufacturing. In West Africa, where 70% of the cocoa imported and consumed in the UK is produced, the chocolate industry has identified Cacao Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSV) as the major constraint to productivity. A cacao farm with CSSV will suffer declining yields and hence a declining income from what is often the only cash crop being grown. To limit the spread of this disease a diagnostic test is needed that can detect trees which are infected with CSSV, well in advance of any visible signs of the disease. This can facilitate prompt control of CSSV in a growing regions and allow testing of nursery material to ensure disease-free plants are planted. In this proposal, based on success with a previous early stage project, we will develop and optimise a methodology and associated instrumentation to detect CSSV in plant material. Our approach will be to develop a robust, inexpensive and rapid field-based test comprising a detector and test consumables, in a format suitable for use by unskilled personnel, thereby enabling their widespread deployment in the field. This will have a significant impact on the economic prospects of cacoa farmers in West Africa.