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Field Evaluation of the Efficacy of Thermotherapy against Cowpea Mosaic Disease in the Central African Republic

¹ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
² Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
³ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁴ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁵ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁶ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁷ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁸ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
⁹ Laboratoire de Virologie et de Biotechnologie Végétale (LVBV)/Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
¹⁰ Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques et Agronomiques pour le Développement (LaSBAD), Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic

Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology·Volume 17 (2026)·Pages 30–46·Published 13 January 2026·DOI10.4236/abb.2026.171003

Abstract

Vigna unguiculata is the main legume grown in Africa. A major constraint to its production is cowpea mosaic disease (CABMV), transmitted by aphids. This disease can cause yield losses of up to 87%. The objectives of this study were to sanitize contaminated cowpea seeds by thermotherapy and to evaluate agro-morphological parameters in the field. Contaminated seeds from a local accession ( Kahkiri ) susceptible to CABMV were heat-treated in water baths of 59˚C, 61˚C, 63˚C, 65˚C and 67˚C for 15 minutes. Agronomic parameters were assessed in the field (Pissa, Central African Republic) over a three-month period up to harvest. Overall, although none of the treatment temperatures tested totally eliminated the virus and resulted in 100% CABMV-free seedlings, heat-treated cowpea seeds produced 87.5% plants with a significantly lower incidence and severity of CABMV symptoms than untreated plants. Our results show that 65˚C represents the optimum treatment temperature, with no negative impact on seed regeneration capacity, and for which we observed the highest seed yield (95.77 kg/ha ± 34.71) and biomass (437.98 kg/ha ± 133.7) equivalent to untreated seeds from asymptomatic plants (95.07 kg/ha ± 27.08 and 441.98 kg/ha ± 132.29, respectively), while the yield of seedlings and biomass in plants from contaminated and untreated seeds was the lowest (43.18 kg/ha ± 27.53 and 236.54 kg/ha ± 92.47, respectively).

KeywordsVigna unguiculataThermotherapyIncidenceSeverityCowpea MosaicCABMVYield

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Field Evaluation of the Efficacy of Thermotherapy against Cowpea Mosaic Disease in the Central African Republic

Abstract

References (25)