Transcript Status of a new maize disease in Rwanda. (Gafishi

Status of a new maize
disease in
Rwanda
Nairobi, 21-23 August, 2013
Gafishi Kanyamasoro Martin
Importance of maize in Rwanda
Maize is among priority crops in Rwanda
Crop intensification program (CIP) policy in
Rwanda is aiming at boosting priority crops
productivity and improving food security
This is achieved through use of fertilizers and
improved seeds in consolidated lands
Importance of maize in Rwanda
Maize production has tremendously increased
(from101.659MT in 2007 to 525.6679MT in 2011)
Maize is ahead of other major grain crops in Rwanda in
terms of production
This is due to new agriculture policy where farmers in
consolidated land receive free seed and pay only for
50% of mineral fertilizer
Sources of improved seeds
The seed maize used in Rwanda is from:
• Local maize OPVs
• Purchased hybrid seeds from seed companies
New outbreak of a maize disease
February 2013, a new and strange disease was reported
in Gisesero site, Musanze District/ Northern Province
Researchers went to the site for assessment
The maize was showing quite new disease symptoms
A series of meetings organized on this issue
Symptoms of the disease
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Premature drying of husks
Leaf yellowing starting mainly with young ones
Necrosis
Poor development of grains on the cob
Some cases of maize plant stunting
Some cases of dead heart
Leaves turn Purple for some plants
Symptoms of the disease
Premature drying of husks
Symptoms of the disease
Necrosis from margins inwards
Yellowing starting from young leaves
Symptoms of the disease
Poor seed development
Poor seed set
Spread of the disease
• The disease spreads very fast
• It reached the Western province and new sites in the
Northern zone
• It starts to show very severe symptoms
• A quick assessment in affected areas revealed 20%
up to complete crop loss
• Around 630 ha of maize were affected in the
highlands
Spread of the disease cont’d
An assessment was conducted on 3-7 June 2013
22 sites situated all in highlands were found infected
8%
39%
Musanze
53%
Rubavu
Rulindo
Measures taken
Awareness creation to:
 Sector agronomists
 CIP focal persons
 Local authority
 Policy makers
 Sample collection and sent to UK for analysis
Sample analysis and results
The results from FERA were positive by TaqMan PCR
for MCMV and negative for SCMV
Negative by ELISA for MDMV and WSMV
The results were the same both for Pool9A &
PAN691
Disease management
Farmers were advised to:
 Destroy maize fields with high disease incidence
 Uproot and remove from the field all suspected
maize plants
 Spray with insecticide the maize fields with low
disease incidence to control vectors
 Spray with insecticide on host plants
 Plant non-cereal crops in infected fields and
surrounding areas
Strategies in place
 Carry out a survey in order to know the current
status at Country level and take appropriate
measures
 Create awareness to non-affected areas
 Stop importing seed from affected Countries
 Breeding for resistance in collaboration with
other research institutions and international
centres
 Analysis of more samples to confirm MLN in Rwanda
Challenges
 Uprooting maize increases labour and thus hardly
accepted by farmers
 Farmers prefer to cut diseased maize plants
 Effort is put on consolidated land but little or nothing
done for maize planted in people’s kitchen gardens
 Free movement of green maize from infested
areas to the place of consumption
Most farmers sell the diseased maize crop to cattle keepers
Charcoal made from the
maize stovers in Rubavu
District western zone
A farmer explaining to CIP FP that the diseased maize is
collected and used to make charcoal (at the left)
Conclusion
 MCMV is present in the highlands of Rwanda
The analysis has not yet confirmed the
presence of MLN in Rwanda
There are symptoms looking like those of MLN
Further sample analysis is needed
Strategies to stop the disease from spreading
to new locations should be put in place
Breeding for resistance is the sustainable
solution to this disease
Thank you for your attention