Pests

: 28 February 2019; Hits: 9944

Grafting purple and yellow passion fruit controls deadly wilting disease

Farmers can control the lethal fusarium wilt disease with a 100 per cent deadly rate by grafting purple and yellow passion plants to obtain a hybrid.

The disease, which is caused by a fungus, attacks stems and leaves and causes death of the entire plant within four to 14 days.

In Kenya, the disease has led to drop in production of passion fruits from 46,628 metric tonnes in 2015 to 31,571 metric tonnes as of 2018 according to the Horticultural Crops Directorate.

Morris Koome, a farmer in Meru for instance found out that the yellow passion fruit more tolerant to the disease than the purple one and through grafting he found out that they hybrid is less susceptible to wilting.

The disease commonly attacks adult plants with the first sign being slight withering and drying of the branch tips. The plant will die within 14 days. Root rot as well as cracks at the stem bases are evidences of the disease attack.

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grafted passion fruit seedlings kenya

Grafted passion fruit seedlings. Courtesy

United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation describes the disease, which also attacks bananas, as one of the most destructive infection. It is hard to control even with the available copper-based fungicides and can last for more than 10 years in the soil.

Besides using diseases free seedlings, the agency recommends restriction of movement of soil from one place to another. High standards of field hygiene may help combat further spread.

“Fusarium wilt loves passion fruits. This variety is loved most by consumers because of high content of juice besides appealing appearance. But it is overwhelmed quickly. I am combining yellow and purple varieties to get a hybrid,” said Koome.

While grafting, Koome uses the yellow root stalk and the purple variety scion.

"One passion stem gives between five and 10 kilos per week when the plant is at its peak. With proper management practices such as weeding and grafting, I harvest up to 15 kilos a week from the same stem," said Koome.

Koome, who propagates and sells the seedlings to farmers at Sh50 each says that one requires at least 1,000 stems to cover one acre.

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: 20 February 2019; Hits: 6006

Smut disease tolerant Napier grass gives 60 per cent more yields

Smallholder farmers in Kenya can increase fodder yields by 60 per cent by planting smut disease resistant varieties such as Kakamega 1 and Kakamega 2.

In Kenya, the disease causes an estimated 60 to 80 per cent yield losses annually according to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. 65 per cent of livestock farmers in Kenya use the fodder to feed their cows, sheep and goats.

It is spread by farm tools such as hoes, water, animal manure and infected plants in infected farms.

Symptoms of the disease are black powder on flowering Napier heads, thin leaves and stems and the plant can be easily uprooted compared to others.

To control it, plant healthy certified materials from KALRO, Ministry of Agriculture, agriculture training centers or those approved by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service.

Put one to two bottle-tops of TSP/DAP fertiliser per hole or one to two handfuls of farm yard manure per hole to reduce disease pressure. Plant single canes of three nodes or root splits in holes spaced at one meter by one meter.

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Napier smut tolerant

Weed regularly as soon as weeds appear and top dress with two to three bottletops of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) per stool or farm yard manure (avoid manure from infected farms) to sustain a healthy crop for a long time.

Uproot diseased Napier grass from the field as they act as source of infection. At every harvest cut at the basal height off five to 10 cm at a frequency of six to eight weeks to enhance and maintain crop vigour. Avoid feeding diseased material to animals as the fungus passes through the gut and spread via manure to Napier grass fields.

By planting smut tolerant Napier grass, farmers will therefore have increased income due to constant fodder availability and also reduced soil erosion in farms as the grass cannot be easily swept by floods.

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: 13 February 2019; Hits: 5785

Crop experts join efforts to help eradicate troublesome flower pests in Kenya

Company tames flower loss by shortening supply chain

Experts at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), and Syngenta have jointly commenced efforts to enable the Kenya flower growers deal more effectively with nematode pest.

It is estimated that 17 per cent of all cut roses produced in Kenya is lost to nematodes leading to a financial deficit of about Sh2.2m per hectare. Moreover, an additional of Sh244,163 per hectare is spent each year in attempts to manage nematode pests.

“Our initiative resonates with the sector’s ambitions to solidify local and global positioning of the so-termed Kenya flower brand, amidst a range of emerging opportunities and challenges,” said Victor Juma, Business Manager East Africa, Lawn and Garden of Syngenta East Africa Limited.

However, the industry have been surviving some of these challenges such as delays in supply of fertiliser, pests and diseases to make one of the impressive performances of Sh153bn in 2018 representing 33 per cent earnings increase.

According to yesterday’s report by Kenya Flower Council, flowers in the horticulture industry made the bulk of the earnings, bringing in Sh113 billion followed by fruits at Sh112 billion then vegetables at Sh27 billion.

Flowers and nematodes

“Against this scenario, the ability of the flower industry to tackle pests proficiently is a significant component,” observed Laura Cortada-Gonzalez, soil health and nematology researcher, IITA.

While the impact of most other pests is evident, the effect of nematodes is less obvious and remains a hidden, yet real threat that reduces and compromises flower yield quality and quantity.

The activities by IITA, icipe and Syngenta to address nematodes in the flower industry started with an awareness and training session held recently at Interplant Roses East Africa Ltd in Naivasha, Kenya’s premier floriculture region

The event was attended by over 90 participants including production and farm managers, plant pathologists and agronomists from across the country.

Through practical field demonstrations, structured presentations and highly interactive discussions, the team provided background information on nematodes, for example, basic knowledge on their biology and life cycle.

The damage and symptoms caused by nematodes was also outlined: primarily that the pests infect plant roots causing direct yield loss through destruction of root tissue and by preventing water and nutrient uptake.

In addition, nematodes indirectly lead to secondary fungal or bacterial infections as a consequence of wounds caused by the pests feeding on plant roots.

Moreover, participants were enlightened on proper detection and sampling of nematodes; important information towards countering frequent misdiagnoses of damage by the pests as nutritional disorders or water stress.

Further, the presenters emphasised the wide range of plant species and plant types affected by certain species of nematodes, and the immense economic impact they are capable of causing.

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