Acknowledgements
3.9. Country-Specific Management Practices in Uganda
Jinja, Mayuge and other districts in Eastern Uganda, mostly through volun- teer seedlings collected from forests in Mukono district where CWD was also rampant on forest coffee. The farmers are attracted by the low cost of these seedlings compared to good seedlings from known sources. The seedlings may appear healthy but could be infected or contaminated with G. xylarioides.
Symptoms may develop later when transported to other areas for planting.
Abundant inoculum in the form of perithecia is readily produced around the collar region and a few centimetres below the soil surface following the death of the seedlings. This inoculum is washed by rain into soil or spread by wind to initiate infection to healthy seedlings planted in the same field or further.
As a soil-borne pathogen, any material that carries soil is suspect. Nurs- ery operators often collect topsoil from the forests, as this soil is considered very fertile. It has been demonstrated that unsterilized soil collected from forests may have enough contamination with the disease pathogen to cause infection to seedlings (Flood, 2005). The seedlings/clones raised in soil con- taminated by the wilt pathogen can be transported far and wide and cause new infections when they die, and perithecia are formed abundantly around the collar and just below the soil surface.
Coffee plantations had significantly more CWD than other production systems, and coffee husks were used for mulching in many coffee plan- tations. A number of farmers who lost their coffee have attributed this to mulching with coffee husks. It was also claimed that the disease got to Mu- kono in coffee brought from the infected districts in western Uganda and hulled in Mukono district. Many farmers took the husks for mulching their coffee fields. Mukono district is among the districts that had a high incidence of CWD. Because the coffee husks were suspected carriers for the pathogen, its use for mulching was stopped by the local leaders. The recommendation is maintained to date.
extension agents posted to major coffee production districts. Research ser- vices are provided mainly through NARO, universities and other private organizations. NARO, through its CORI, conducts research to solve priority constraints of which CWD has been of major economic concern.
Coffee research in Uganda has been directed towards the control of CWD to increase the knowledge base of the disease and its pathogen. The formu- lation of effective means of control/disease management and breeding for durable resistance to CWD depends on detailed knowledge of the pathogen.
Concurrently, research is also directed to finding agronomic measures for management of the disease. Use of resistant cultivars is the most effective long- term measure against CWD. In addition, resistance can eliminate or reduce the need for other measures. General selection and breeding for resistance have been making use of available germplasm in the coffee collection at Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute and from survivors of CWD in the farmers’
fields. The goals of these include improvement of yield and vigour, better lo- cal adaptation (resistance to other pests and diseases) and better bean quality.
There are high expectations from the selected CWD-resistant robusta coffee lines, which are undergoing final field evaluations on farms in several districts before release to farmers on a large scale (see Chapter 9).
3.9.2. Replanting programme in areas infected by CWD
Coffee production in Uganda had been on the decline for over a decade as evidenced by the reduced volume and value of the most important export commodity (Table 3.1). Among the reasons for the decline was low produc- tivity due to old trees (more than 50 years old). To revitalize production, a gradual replacement of old robusta trees with new plantations, using the six high-yielding clonal robusta, was planned before the emergence of CWD. The replanting programme was initiated in 1990 by UCDA, and when the disease emerged, this operation continued and has been effective in maintaining cof- fee stands and ensured that there was some production of robusta coffee.
Replanting has been based on the recommended clones in the absence of better varieties that could be used. As a precaution against CWD, all the nursery operators were trained in nursery management, CWD control and general cof- fee field management including control of other pests and diseases. The planting materials were purchased by UCDA and distributed free of charge to farmers to encourage them to replant and also to ensure they get the recommended plant- ing materials. It has been estimated that 100 million clonal seedlings were sup- plied to farmers since the start of the programme in 1990 (UCDA).
3.9.3. Introduction of robusta coffee in non-traditional areas free from CWD
To avoid/escape CWD, the production of coffee in selected areas suitable for robusta coffee, outside the areas where robusta had been traditionally grown, was encouraged and supported. Some areas in the north and east
of the country were already growing some coffee. With UCDA support and technical input from the Coffee Research Centre, training of extension work- ers and nursery operators was undertaken. Training included general cof- fee management with an emphasis on CWD especially to avoid spread of the disease from infected districts to new areas. The programme of capacity building and raising awareness is ongoing.
3.9.4. Promotion of arabica production at lower altitudes (1400–1500 m)
Because CWD has not been observed on arabica coffee and also confirmed through inoculations that it is not infected by the pathogenic strain present in Uganda, it seemed logical to promote the cultivation of arabica in the robusta areas where CWD is prevalent. Trials were initiated using three Catimor va- rieties, which are resistant to CLR but highly susceptible to CBD and cannot be grown successfully at high altitude. The quality profiles of the varieties at various altitudes have been assessed, and results show that some areas 1400 to 1500 m could produce good-quality arabica.
3.9.5. Training of trainers
The need for information on the managements of CWD and the dissemina- tion of this information has been high. In order for farmers and extensionists to manage the disease, they needed information from research. Lack of infor- mation at the beginning allowed the disease to spread rapidly. As informa- tion became available, there was need to increase information flow between farmers, researchers and the extension systems to manage the disease more effectively.
Under the CFC-funded project, CORI at Kituza together with their partners CABI conducted a Training of Trainers in some disease recogni- tion and management based on available information. CORI, in conjunction with CABI Africa, trained 75 extension staff of the MAAIF and an additional 25 extensionists belonging to the National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises coming from all coffee regions including arabica ar- eas and from those areas still free from the disease These later groups were trained in the recognition of disease symptoms to allow early detection of the disease and hence improved surveillance. This is crucial for a quick re- sponse to enable effective control to be applied before the disease is wide- spread. These extensionists now form a basis for farmer training on CWD management.
3.9.6. Participation of leaders in the CWD control programme
Under the decentralized system of governance, the districts operate as small units with power to formulate and implement policies affecting their areas
and to recommend to the central government issues which require new leg- islations. It was observed that leaders in the districts would be useful part- ners in the campaign against CWD and therefore should be sensitized on the problem. The aim of sensitization was for them to appreciate the magnitude of the problem and its effect on the coffee farmers and the local communities in general. It was also essential to enlist their participation in sensitization and mobilization of farmers to try to manage the disease particularly where by-laws are required. Successful sensitization workshops for local leaders have been carried out in ten districts to date and are ongoing and have al- lowed them to influence their respective communities and mobilize and sen- sitize farmers effectively.
3.9.7. Information dissemination
Through mass media
Radio programmes in Luganda for farmers and other stakeholders go on air every Sunday morning at 8:30 AM by UCDA on Radio Simba/CBS. Informa- tion on all aspects of coffee production, crop protection in particular CWD and coffee trade are covered in the programme. The programmes have been sustained for more than 2 years now, covering about 30,000 listeners each time the programme goes on air.
Farmer field schools approach to information dissemination
The traditional extension service is where the service provider/extension worker is the messenger between research and farmer (Ladela, 2001). The farmer is the passive recipient of this information of which he has never taken part in its generation; consequently, many good recommendations have never been adopted. However, farmers are known to possess a lot of information, which they have acquired over time through experience (Mar- seden, 1994). Farmers too have the ability to analyse situations and make rational decisions.
Information dissemination through the traditional extension system is very slow because the number of extension workers is quite low compared to the number of farmers, whom they deal with one by one. To enhance the farmers’ ability and to accelerate information dissemination, a farmer field school (FFS) approach was initiated. Through participatory approaches, farmers work in groups and have the advantage of learning from each other as they share information. In an FFS, farmers make regular field observa- tions, relate their observations to the ecosystem and apply their previous ex- perience and any new information to make management decisions on their crop guided by the extension worker.
A coffee FFS follows the production cycle of the crop. It consists of a group, usually 20 to 30 farmers, who set up a study field. The group is re- sponsible for the care and maintenance of the study field from soil prep- aration to harvesting/post harvest. Such schools have been started in
Bugiri, Kayunga, Mukono, Kiboga, Masaka and Rakai districts. Each of these districts has at least two active field schools. Information dissemina- tion through FFS has been so successful through open field days hosted by these farmers, so that in all the six districts, extension workers who have been on this coffee programme are now using the approach for other crops/
commodities.
The farmers are involved in training other farmers, for instance, the field school in Rakai (Jjongeza Coffee Farmer Field School) trained more than 500 out-grower farmers of Kaweri Coffee Company in CWD management and other good agricultural practises in 2006.
The creation of more FFS will greatly enhance the farmers’ knowledge and give a chance for most farmers to get the much needed production infor- mation within relatively short time.
Coffee production campaign
Coffee stakeholders showed concern about the declining volume of coffee exports from Uganda. Consequently, a number of meetings/workshops were convened in Kampala during 2006, with the goal of improving coffee productivity, so as to raise the volume of coffee from 2 million bags to 4 mil- lion bags by the year 2015. A plan of action was drawn up for the various stakeholders, which included research, extension, input stockists and oth- ers. Control of CWD is essential if the programme is to succeed. Resistant varieties would greatly impact on the progress to increase production. The role of research is to ensure available resistant materials are evaluated, mul- tiplied and distributed to farmers. At the same time, information dissemina- tion through various print materials in English and main local languages on CWD management and other agronomic and crop protection problems is emphasized. The campaign began in 2006, and this is the third year.