Up-to-date manual of coffee pests and diseases |
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| Promotion of current knowledge on pests of coffee in East Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coffee growers in East and Central Africa can now refer to an up-to-date manual to help identify and control insect pests and diseases. Coffee contributes significantly to national economies in the region and, directly and indirectly, provides a living for millions along the coffee growing, processing and marketing chain. Coffee wilt disease, coffee berry disease, coffee leaf rust, coffee stem borer and coffee berry borer are just a few of the problems that growers encounter. So, identifying pests and diseases correctly and knowing how to deal with them is crucial. This manual provides descriptions of pests and advice on how to control them. Coffee scientists in East Africa now use the manual and it's also available on the internet. Project Ref: CPP56:
Research Programmes: DFID Crop Protection Programme Relevant Research Projects: R8513 Institutional partners:
Coffee production in East Africa is a major industry contributing to national economies, providing a major source of foreign exchange earnings, and as a cash crop, supporting, directly or indirectly, the livelihoods of millions involved in cultivation, processing and marketing. However, cultivation of coffee is constrained by a wide range of pests and diseases, including coffee wilt disease (CWD), coffee berry disease (CBD), coffee leaf rust (CLR), coffee stem borer (CSB), and coffee berry borer (CBB). The primary purpose of the project, which was carried out from 1st September 2005 to 31st January 2006, was to collate current knowledge on the major insect pestsand diseases of coffee in East and Central Africa, and to utilise the knowledge to develop an up-to-date learning and advisory manual suitable for uptake and application by coffee stakeholders in the region. In addition, the purpose also included a review of data from field and screen house trials in Uganda to investigate aspects of CWD in relation to on-farm management of the disease. The outputs are therefore as follows:
Overall, the project resulted in the acquisition and collation of existing and new knowledge on insect pests and diseases as major constraints to coffee production. The information is packaged in a format suitable for immediate dissemination and uptake.
The outputs focused on coffee. However, the approaches/methodologies used in producing the outputs could be used in other commodities. A review of the major production constraints could be used as the basis for producing a manual for commodities such as Cocoa, Macadamia nuts, etc.
Farming Systems:
Useful information for identification and management of major coffee insect pests and diseases was collated and published into a manual. However, it is important to put the information into practice if it is to be of any value. The following value adding activities/projects are therefore proposed:
CABI Africa accommodates and backstops CORNET, which provides ongoing opportunities for dissemination and integration of the outputs into relevant programmes. The following objectives/projects should be clustered together:
How the outputs were validated: The outputs were not validated because of the short time for the project (1st September 2005 to 31st January 2006). However, the information which was collated into the manual was generated from other DFID funded projects (R6782, R7942, R8188, R6028, R7246, R6812) and literature, so was validated insofar as those outputs had been validated. Who are the Users? The outputs are being used as reference materials by coffee scientists in East Africa, though to a limited extent. The outputs are principally being used to identify coffee insect pests and diseases. In April 2006 agreement was also reached for the manual to be uploaded to the DFID CPP website. Where the outputs have been used: The outputs are being used at coffee research and development institutions in Uganda and Kenya. Scale of Current Use: Beyond the beneficiaries specified above, it is difficult to ascertain the scale of use as uptake/adoption studies have not been carried out. Policy and Institutional Structures, and Key Components for Success: The main platform/programme which has assisted with the promotion of the outputs is the Coffee Research Network (CORNET) of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). CORNET coordinates coffee research activities in the Eastern and Central African sub-region, and has a database for all coffee institutions in the sub-region. CABI's ongoing projects on coffee in East Africa (funded from various sources) also provide a platform for assisting with promotion. Lessons Learned and Uptake Pathways Promotion of Outputs: Promotion is currently taking place on an ad hoc basis via CORNET and other coffee projects in the region. New and innovative ways of using this information need to be found, including incorporation into e-learning tools, websites and other e-media. Coffee institutes, as they are currently constituted, are not set up to transform this material. Potential Barriers Preventing Adoption of Outputs: Language is the main barrier which will slow down the adoption of the outputs. The manual is currently available in English only whereas coffee production occurs in a number of francophone countries. Local extension officers would prefer the manual in a local language such as Kiswahili. How to Overcome Barriers to Adoption of Outputs: There is a need, firstly, to translate the outputs into other languages appropriate to perceived beneficiaries, particularly French and Kiswahili, to enable knowledge of coffee pests and diseases to become more widely usable. Portuguese and Ahmaric would probably be the next priorities. Secondly, the outputs must become more widely accessible through reproduction and distribution of hard copies of the manual and also via alternative pathways. As the outputs are also held in electronic format, the knowledge may be conveyed in part or as a whole, in a number of other formats and via a broad range of uptake pathways. Formats and pathways that have proven to be effective, particularly when communicating with farmers, include: radio, television, video, drama productions and processes of participatory, experiential learning such as demonstration plots and Farmer Field Schools (FFS), for which tailored knowledge or training 'packages' could be produced. Other possibilities include provision of information via internet websites and mobile phones (video clips, text messages, web access). Equally, alternative publications such as leaflets, posters, booklets, calendars and training materials may be produced, again tailored to specific needs. The intended beneficiaries will also influence selection of format and uptake pathway of the outputs. Service providers e.g. agricultural extension, national and regional agricultural advisory bodies, community based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), are seen as the primary beneficiaries, but the needs of research based organisations and other stakeholders can also be addressed. Activities aimed at facilitating uptake and adoption of outputs will require adequate funding, the level of which will vary depending on the format and promotion/dissemination pathways to be utilised. Lessons Learned: The lessons learnt are as follows:
Poverty Impact Studies: Impact studies on poverty in relation to this output have not been carried out. Direct and Indirect Environmental Benefits: The use of the outputs will lead to more timely and targeted pest and disease control within the framework of integrated crop and pest management. This will lead to a more responsible deployment of control strategies, particularly those based on or involving chemical use, thereby sustaining or enhancing the environment in terms of the quality of air, water and soils specifically. Reduction of pest and disease levels, particularly through cultural measures, may also lead to a more balanced micro- and macrobiota. Adverse Environmental Impacts: There are no adverse environmental impacts related to the outputs. Coping with the Effects of Climate Change, or Risk from Natural Disasters: Yes: one of the expected side effects of the environmental change is changes in disease and insect pest patterns. The output will therefore increase the capacity of the resource-poor smallholder farmers to cope with any such changes, reduce the risk of crop loss due to the occurrence of such diseases and pests and hence indirectly contribute to the resilience of the poor communities to cope with climatic changes. Relevant Research Projects,
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