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Uganda: New Coffee Varieties Resist the Wilt Disease
ONCE Uganda's top foreign exchange earner, coffee has since shrunk. "I could not take it any more. My coffee plantation dried up and out of frustration, I cut down all the trees," says Musa Kiryowa, a farmer in Mukono.
Most farmers have suffered the same. The scourge plagued most plantations until 1990, when agricultural scientists identified it as the coffee wilt disease.
First reported in Central Africa Republic in 1927, the disease spread to Ivory Coast, Liberia and Cameroon between 1944 and 1950, found its way through DR Congo in 1988 and Uganda in 1990. Caused by a fungus, fusarium xylariodes, the vascular wilt disease has a very high multiplier effect.
It causes yellowing and curling of the leaves, which results in rapid wilting and leaf defoliation. Finally, the roots dry up and the plant falls down. A plant that catches the disease never recovers. To curb the disease from spreading, the affected plant should be cut down.
Until recently the disease has had a disastrous effect on local and regional coffee industries.
It is believed that East and central Africa has slashed coffee production from 780,000 metric tonnes in the 1990s to 450, 000 metric tonnes.
However, three new low-land Arabica coffee cartimols resistant to the wilt disease, have come on board.
"We have tested and found that the varieties can do well on both virgin and infected land," says Godfrey Bbiso, a technician at Mukono Zonal Research and Development Institute, Ntaawo.
The breeding of NG9258, NG9257 and NG9260 was done at Kituuza Coffee Research Institute (CORI).
NG9260 is, by far, the best cartimol. A farmer, who grows it, on an average, gets 2.5kg per plant per year. This is, however, dependent on the spacing. The ideal spacing is 2m by 2m. 1, 000 plants can be grown on an acre.
This means that 2,500kg can be got from an acre annually. A plant takes 18 months to mature.
With the price currently at sh1,200 per kg, a farmer can earn sh3m a year. 2,000kg can be harvested from an acre annually, to earn sh2.4m.
NG9257 has the least yield, with 0.86kg per plant annually.
Five lines: A, B, C, D and H of clonal coffee have also been identified to be tolerant to the wilt.
Bbiso says research is on going to come out with new lines that are resistant to the wilt, but also tolerant to Uganda weather. "Trial gardens have been set up but not many farmers have picked interest. However, the cartimols are doing well in Mukono in 10 sub-counties including Ntenjeru, Goma, Ngogwe, Kyampisi and Kayunga district," he says.
allafrica.com
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