Community Mobilization and Awareness Creation for the Management of Enset <i>Xanthomonas</i> Wilt (EXW): The Case of Gerino Enset Tekil Kebele Administration, Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia
- 1 Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Areka Agricultural Research Center, Areka, Ethiopia
- 2 Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- 3 Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Areka Agricultural Research Center, Areka, Ethiopia
- 4 Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Hawassa Agricultural Research Center, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- 5 International Potato Center, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Abstract
Enset bacterial wilt (EXW) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum is the major constraint in enset-based farming system. The opportunity to provide integrated EXW management options has opened a new vista and is enhanced by well-informed communities who are aware of the management approach available to them. We hypothesized that differential success in EXW control is mainly due to approach used in the EXW control. It is the responsibility of the research institute to adequately inform these communities via a combination of community mobilization and awareness creation. This paper therefore assessed the importance of stake holders’ mobilization and awareness creation for the promotion of technologies for EXW control in Ethiopia among 2010-2012. Individual interviews and direct on-farm participatory monitoring and observation with 60 farm households, key informant interviews, relevant secondary data, literature and inter-personal data were collected from unpublished progress report from National Enset Research Project, elderly people and senior experts. Results showed that about 25.6% of farmers’ field was infected by the disease in 2007 and the level reached 54.5% in 2010. End line assessment has shown that the disease prevalence declined to 10 percent in 2013. Disease incidence has shown that the intensity was highest in 2010; that is on average more than 17 enset were infected by the disease and shown significant decline in 2013 to about 1 infected enset on the infected fields. The intervention brought about promising step-ups in controlling the devastation by EXW. This intervention demonstrated that the disease impact can be minimized to a significant level if community mobilization and awareness creation with other local formal and informal institutions go hand in hand to out scale the experience to a wider range of enset farming communities.
- Pijls, L.T.J., Timmer, A.A.M., Woldegebriel, Z. and West, C.E. (1995) Cultivation, Preparation and Consumption of Enset (Enset ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) in Ethiopia. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 67, 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740670102
- Beizuneh, T. (1984) Evaluation of Some Ensete ventricosum Cultivars for Food Yield with Emphasis on the Effect of Length of Fermentation on Carbohydrate and Calcium Content. Tropical Agriculture, 61, 111-116.
- Brandt, S.A., Spring, A., Hiesch, C., McCabe, S.T., Endale, T., et al. (1997) The Tree against Hunger. Enset-Based Agricultural Systems in Ethiopia. American Association for the Advancement of Science, with Awassa Agricultural Research Center, Kyota University Center for Africa Area Studies and University of Flora, Washington DC.
- Yirgou, D. and Bradbury, J.F. (1968) Bacterial Wilt of Enset (Enset ventricosum) Incited by Xanthomonas musacearum sp. n. Phytopathology, 58, 111-112.
- Quimio, A. and Tessera, M. (1996) Diseases of Enset. In: Abate, T., Hiebsch, C. and Brandt, S., Eds., Enset-Based Sustainable Agriculture in Ethiopia, Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Enset, IAR, Addis Ababa, 188-203.
- Quimio, A. (1992) Annual Report of the Plant Pathologist: July 17, 1991-July 16, 1992. Enset Team Support Project. Sidamo, Gamo-Goffa Peasant Agricultural Development Program. PADEP III. Awassa Research Center, IAR.
- Shank, R. and Chernet (1996) Mole Rats: Another Possible Mode of Spreading Enset Bacterial Wilt, Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia [UNDP-EUE] Development Programme, Addis Ababe, Ethiopia.
- Yirgou, D. and Bradbury, J.F. (1974) A Note Wilt of Banana Caused by the Enset Wilt Organism Xanthomonas musacearum. East African Agricultural and Forestry Journal, 40, 111-114.
- Ashagari, D. (1985) Studies on the Bacterial Wilt of Enset (Enset ventricosum) and Prospects for Its Control. Ethiopian Journal of Agricultural Science, 7, 1-14.
- Spring, A. (1996) Gender Issues and Farming Systems Research and Extension in Enset Agriculture in Ethiopia. In: Abate, T., et al., Eds., Enset-Based Sustainable Agriculture in Ethiopia, Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa.
- Tadesse, M., Kidist, B. and Gizachew, W.M. (2003) Enset Bacterial wilt Sanitary Control in Gurage Zone. Awassa, 53, 23.
- Welde-Michael, G. (2000) Variations in Isolates of Enset Wilt Pathogen (Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum) and Reaction of Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Clones to This Disease. M.Sc. Thesis, Alemaya University, Ethiopia, 61.