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Banana xanthomonas wilt continues to spread in Tanzania despite an intensive symptomatic plant removal campaign: an impending socio-economic and ecological disaster

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Abstract

Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW), caused by the recently introduced pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm), is a limiting factor for banana production in Kagera, Tanzania. A region-wide eradication campaign was initiated in 2013. The objectives were to gain insight into the spatial and seasonal occurrences of BXW and into field management practices. In 2015, 135 smallholder farmers were interviewed about BXW and management practices, and their farms were assessed for incidence of the disease. BXW incidence per ward in 2014, obtained from extension offices, and space-time cluster analysis was performed with SaTScan. BXW clusters were detected during rainy but not during dry seasons. These results agreed with the information provided by farmers that the highest incidence of BXW occurred during rainy seasons. Farmers recalled that BXW incidence increased exponentially between 2011 and 2013 but decreased steeply after 2013, coincident with the start of the BXW eradication campaign. However, pathogen transmission continued due to inconsistent sterilization of field tools and exposure of Xcm to rain. Fields of poor farmers are at greatest risk because they borrow tools and are unable to impose some recommended management practices. After the appearance of BXW in individual farms, the number of banana bunches consumed per family per month decreased significantly from 13.1 to 6.4 with a corresponding increase in areas planted to cassava and maize. Based on these findings, we suggest refining the BXW management recommendations, in particular limiting the cutting of BXW-affected plants to dry periods and sterilizing farm tools in fire.

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Acknowledgments

This work was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative project (iAGRI) (Award No. CA-621-A-00-11-00009-00). The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the United States Government. We thank Walter Bowen for facilitation of the funding and for his general guidance. We acknowledge the contributions by Joseph Kimisha, Jasmeck Kirangi, and Consesta Bangambisa for their assistance during surveys. We acknowledge Leonard Mukandala and Innocent Ndyetabura for their valuable comments during the first presentation of our research proposal at ARI-Maruku. We acknowledge the Kagera region agricultural office, District agricultural and livestock development offices of Bukoba, Karagwe, Muleba and Misenyi districts for providing BXW data for the year 2014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARI-Maruku, P.O. Box 127, Bukoba, Tanzania

    Mpoki M. Shimwela & Shabani I. Mkulila

  2. Plant Pathology Department and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 23611, USA

    Mpoki M. Shimwela, Jeffrey B. Jones & Ariena H. C. van Bruggen

  3. Plant Pathology Department, TREC – Homestead, University of Florida, 18905 S.W. 280 Street, Homestead, FL, 33031, USA

    Randy C. Ploetz

  4. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, Research & Development Building, Kasetsart University Bangkhen, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Fen D. Beed

  5. Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 23611, USA

    Jason K. Blackburn

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  1. Mpoki M. Shimwela
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Correspondence to Mpoki M. Shimwela or Ariena H. C. van Bruggen.

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Shimwela, M.M., Ploetz, R.C., Beed, F.D. et al. Banana xanthomonas wilt continues to spread in Tanzania despite an intensive symptomatic plant removal campaign: an impending socio-economic and ecological disaster. Food Sec. 8, 939–951 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-016-0609-3

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