Pests

: 04 February 2019; Hits: 9241

Fact sheet on heart water disease in cattle, sheep and goats

Heart water is a disease of domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats with up to 90 per cent mortality rate if not treated.

The disease is transmitted by a parasite that’s transmitted by bont ticks as they move from one animal to another. These ticks usually found in the armpits, on the scrotum, the base of the thigh, in the cleft of the hooves and the belly.

Symptoms of the disease include nervous signs such as walking in circles, chewing movements, pressing head against objects, animal standing with front legs and in very acute cases the animal drops dead without showing signs of the disease.

In case the animal dies and the carcass opened there is a lot of fluid in the chest cavity, heart sac and the abdominal cavity hence the name heart water.

Up to 80 per cent of merino sheep may die for instance, but the mortality rate can be only six per cent in Persian or Afrikander sheep. Angora and Saanen goats are also very susceptible to heartwater, while Creole goats in Guadeloupe are resistant and farmers can keep this type to avoid losses.

To control this disease, thoroughly wet your animal with acaricides such dicofol (2.5ml per liter), spiromefisen (0.8ml per liter) or abamectin (0.8ml per liter) amongst others.

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A bull suffering from acute heart water disease. Courtesy

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the main livestock species in Kenya are cattle (18m), sheep (18m), goats 28m), three million pigs and 31m poultry.

The sector accounts for 13.4 per cent of the total agriculture value added averaging $3.1bn annually.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that cattle the most important source of meat in Kenya supplying about 80 per cent of Kenya’s meat with small scale farmers contributing roughly 72 per cent of the total production.

Last year, the number of cattle and calves slaughtered in slaughterhouses rose by 5.3 per cent from 2.46m in 2016 to 2.59m in 2017 according to the 2018 Economic Survey Report.

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: 01 February 2019; Hits: 7082

Scientist finds solution to deadly banana disease through genetic orientation

Banana Farming in Kenya

A principal scientist at Plant Biotechnology at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Kenya has, through genetic orientation, found a solution to banana streak virus, a deadly banana disease that threatens to make it impossible to grow the crop.

The banana streak virus can not only be spread from plant to plant by insects like most plant viruses but also integrates its DNA into the banana’s genome. The disease is a significant constraint to banana production in Kenya.

However, Leena Tripathi at IITA has now used the CRISPR genome editing method to target and destroy the viral DNA inside the genome of a banana variety called Gonja Manjaya.

According to the scientist, the plan is to use these plants to breed virus-free plants for farmers. Her team is also using CRISPR to make the bananas resistant to the virus, so they are not simply re-infected.

But the legal status of genome-edited plants in the West African countries where Gonja Manjaya is grown remains uncertain. “I think right now they are in discussions about whether it requires legislation,” said Tripathi.

The banana streak virus does not infect banana especially the popular Cavendish banana but a fungal strain called Tropical Race 4 is devastating Cavendish plantations as it spreads around the world.

Before the 1960s the most popular banana was the reportedly more delicious Gros Michel, which farmers had to stop growing because of the spread of another fungal strain called Tropical Race 1.

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Because the Cavendish is a sterile mutant that can only be propagated by cloning, there is no way to breed resistant varieties. Instead, several teams worldwide are trying to use CRISPR to make it resistant to Tropical Race 4.

An Australian team has already genetically engineered the Cavendish to make it resistant by adding a gene from a wild banana. But because of the opposition to GM food worldwide, this variety may never be grown commercially.

Using CRISPR is seen as preferable because some countries including the US do not regard genome edited plants as transgenic, depending on what has been done.

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: 01 February 2019; Hits: 7877

New biological solution stops fruit flies attack on mangoes

Mango farmers in Kenya who have been incurring 30 to 80 per cent fruit yield losses due to attack by fruit flies can now control the pests using a new biological solution, cera cap from Amiran Kenya, an agricultural input company.

The company is selling a single trap at Sh450 while a liter of cera solution goes for Sh740. The solution attracts and drowns all female fruit flies, breaking their breeding cycle.

Cera Trap now is a liquid hydrolyzed protein bait solution which contains amines and organic acids to attract fruit flies inside the trap. The fruit flies then drown in the trap with no means of getting outside the trap. Although Cera trap attracts both genders of fruit flies, it mostly target females hence breaking the breeding cycle.

Adult female fruit flies lay eggs in the flesh of ripening and ripe fruit and vegetable. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae begins to feed within the fruit, causing it to ripen prematurely, rot and drop to the ground.

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cera 1 1

According to Amiran Kenya Limited’s Chief Agronomist, Cera Trap attracts a wide variety of fruit flies from Ceratitis species to Bactrocera species in different plantations including mangoes, citrus, cucurbits and avocadoes. The advantage of Cera Trap is that as much as it captures a wide variety of fruit flies, it respects beneficial fauna.

Traps are placed in an orchard 40-60 days before commercial ripening. In order to effectively eliminate fruit flies, at least 20 traps are needed per acre and are supposed to be positioned at the northern side of the plant; within the foliage or crop; 1.5 meters above the ground. At least 400ml of Cera solution is needed per trap and frequency of refilling depends on temperature, humidity, type of trap used and exposure to the sunlight.

Cera trap solution is free of chemicals; insecticides and pesticides hence farmers don’t have to worry about spraying the plantation as everything happens in the trap, thus no residue is left on fruits.

For more information contact Amiran Kenya on 0719 095000 or +254-206907000

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