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Coffee is an important cash crop for small-scale farmers across East and Central Africa. However, production is severely constrained by pests and diseases which also have an impact on the quality of the coffee that farmers are able to produce.

what's the problem?Coffee wilt is an aggressive disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium xylarioides. It has more than halved the earnings of resource-poor smallholder coffee farmers in countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. Coffee is central to these countries' economies and is a major contributor to people's livelihoods. In fact, coffee wilt disease causes yearly losses of around US$9.6 million in Uganda and US$3.8 million in Ethiopia. So it's easy to see how tackling coffee wilt disease could improve the lives of literally millions of people.

tackling the disease from all directionsTo have a real chance of controlling a disease like coffee wilt, a coordinated approach is needed. The programme was therefore divided into four projects: (1) to undertake biological and socio-economic surveys, (2) to develop a long-term breeding strategy, (3) to study the causes, distribution and spread (epidemiology) of the disease, and (4) to disseminate information and provide training to extensionists and farmers.

Finding out more about the disease was obviously a priority – and the project's researchers have made a whole range of useful discoveries throughout the course of the project. For example, they've found that there are actually two types of coffee wilt; one that attacks Arabica coffee, and one that attacks Robusta coffee. We are now able to identify Robusta plants that are resistant to the disease in Uganda and Tanzania. In addition, there is promising progress on screening for coffee wilt disease resistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo – making it much more likely that farmers will be able to grow wilt-resistant crops in the near future. Screening programmes are also underway on Arabica coffee in Ethiopia.

Project staff have also identified various ways in which the disease is spread from plant to plant, farm to farm, and area to area. It is spread through infected coffee wood – which is an important source of fuel in the region – and through infected soil, coffee seedlings, wind and water. Farm tools used on infected coffee bushes can also carry the disease.

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

controlling coffee wilt disease:boosting coffee production in Africa

coffee wilt disease causes yearly losses of around US$9.6 million in Uganda and US$3.8 million in EthiopiaP

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helping growers to tackle coffee wilt

The extension work run by the project is helping growers cope with the disease and boost their yields. Extension workers have been trained through the project, and in turn they have trained growers in a range of simple techniques that can be used to control the spread of coffee wilt. This includes both the identification and management of coffee wilt disease. In addition, find-ings from coffee wilt disease on-farm and on-station trials have been disseminated through workshops and farmer field schools. Practical methods include weeding by hand around coffee trees (to prevent nicks and cuts that might let the disease enter the tree) and painting stems with fungus-killing pesticides.

Using farmer field schools, training days, and the mass media, the project has taught over 5 million farmers in Ethiopia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda how to identify and manage coffee wilt disease. The dissemination of information is critical to raising awareness of the symptoms of the disease, as early recognition of the symptoms is crucial to its successful management.

getting the message out thereThe project has also worked hard to boost general awareness of coffee wilt among decision makers and the general public. Through conferences, newspaper articles, television and radio programmes, and a range of leaflets and posters, these efforts have reached over 20 million people. Country-specific workshops have also been organized specifically for policy makers – creating awareness of coffee wilt and challenging them to include the fight against coffee wilt disease in their Agriculture Ministries' activities.

find out more

This is only a snapshot of all the new options produced by this project, so please contact CABI Africa to find out more.

contactCABI Africa, ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 20 72 24450 F: +254 20 71 22150 E: africa@cabi.org www.cabi.org/africa

partners

Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)International Coffee Organization (ICO)National programmes of participating countries

CABI project team

Noah Phiri Martin KimaniMike RutherfordCharles Agwanda Negussie Efa Richard Musebe George Oduor Daniel Karanja Sarah Simons Tom Owaga Morris Akiri

dates of project

February 2001 – December 2007

sponsors

Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)European Union (EU)UK Department for International Development (DFID)