SURVEY OF ENSET BACTERIAL WILT DISTRIBUTION IN MAREKAWOREDA, DAWURO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Enset is an important food crop produced in Ethiopia with great role in food security especially for Southern and South-Western parts of the country. It is a good source of starch. The corm and the pseudo stem are the most important sources of food. However, the production and productivity was threatened by many biotic and abiotic factors, among which bacterial wilt of enset caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. Musacearum was one of the major factors. The recent survey studies indicate that bacterial wilt is increasing in severity and distribution in most of enset growing agro-ecologies. Hence, the main objective of this study was to evaluate enset bacterial wilt distribution in the study area. The study district was purposefully selected and 175 sample households were used as representatives of the community and the enset crop farmer households were selected based on proportionate stratified sampling technique. Through this study, data were collected and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. To complement the data the farmers’ group discussions and field assessment was held; it was observed that over 81.25% enset varieties were found susceptible to bacterial wilt disease. Among these enset landraces, ʻBooza, Suyitiya, Shasha, Teela, Lochingiya, Musuwaʼ and others are not tolerant diseases. And 18.75% of enset landraces tolerant to bacterial wilt disease mong these enset landraces a i a hododin a and ari ia enset arieties were the most dominant, distributed and have relatively better tolerant to bacterial wilt disease attacks in the surveyed area conditions. Based on the study finding, to reduce enset disease and to improve the role of Enset plant on household food sustainability it needs appropriate intervention and awareness creation by responsible body.