Optimal Control Applied to a Stage-Structured Cassava Mosaic Disease Model With Vector Feeding Behavior
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Date
2025-01-05
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Cassava remains Sub-Saharan Africa’s second most crucial staple food crop after maize.
However, production of sufficient yields is hampered by pests and diseases. In particular, the
whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) has the potential to reduce expected yields by 50% since it directly
damages cassava leaves by feeding on phloem, causing chlorosis and abscission. This study
develops a novel mathematical model for cassava mosaic disease that incorporates immature
and adult whitefly populations. Additionally, the model includes vector feeding behavior since
prior studies have shown that vectors exhibit preferences to settle for either healthy or infected
hosts. We determined the offspring number and carried out its sensitivity analysis. Additionally,
we carried out an optimal control study on the use of insecticides and plant roguing as disease
control measures against cassava mosaic disease. Our results show that vector preference and
efficiency of disease control strategies plays an important role in shaping the short and long-
term dynamics of cassava mosaic disease, which subsequently impacts the design of its optimal
control strategies
Description
This Journal Article was Published by Elsevier