Controlling Banana Bunchy Top Disease in Benin: crop protection strategies with socioeconomic perspectives

Abstract Summary This study combines satellite mapping, field surveillance, farmer surveys, and disease modelling to assess BBTV dynamics across Benin. It provides the first national-scale map of banana cultivation in Benin and identifies high-risk areas for targeted intervention. The study highlights the dominance of informal networks for exchange of planting material (∼80% of farmers), limited farmer awareness of BBTV (∼60% unaware), and low recognition of symptoms or transmission routes, all of which contribute to the spread and persistence of disease. Although women represented only a quarter of respondents, they demonstrated comparable levels of market orientation and access to planting materials and land. The findings call for spatially targeted, socially informed BBTV management strategies that integrate clean planting material systems, farmer education, and accessible control methods. BBTV was detected in 140 out of 747 fields surveyed, with the highest prevalence in the humid southern regions. No cases were found in the northern Sudanian zone, reflecting known agroecological patterns of disease distribution. Modelling of three control strategies - decapitation, uprooting, and injection - revealed injection as most effective nationally (70% reduction in disease incidence), while uprooting was most effective in vulnerable communities with high disease pressure. The study reveals an interconnected system in which socioeconomic vulnerability, informal seed networks, limited disease awareness, and spatial clustering of banana cultivation collectively drive BBTV dynamics in Benin, highlighting the need for epidemiologically effective, socially informed, and spatially targeted interventions. Societal Impact Statement Banana and plantain are critical for food security and income generation in West Africa, particularly for smallholder farmers in countries such as Benin. However, banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) poses a major threat to sustainable production. This study integrates high-resolution remote sensing, field epidemiology, mathematical modelling, and socioeconomic analysis to improve understanding of the spread of BBTV and to evaluate the effectiveness of different disease control strategies. Our findings reveal that BBTV risk is highest in southern Benin, where socioeconomic vulnerability is also greatest. Low disease awareness, limited adoption of effective control methods and informal exchange of planting material exacerbate this risk. By identifying priority areas and strategies tailored to local social, economic, and agroecological contexts, this research offers a roadmap for designing targeted, sustainable BBTV management programs. These insights can support smallholder resilience, reduce disease burden, and safeguard banana-based livelihoods across sub-Saharan Africa. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.