Buganda farmers advised on fighting deadly black coffee twig borer

MASAKA– The devastating harsh weather conditions and rapid destruction of coffee plantations by the black coffee twig borer in South Buganda region have left farmers with no hope of earning more from the cash crop.

Many coffee farmers in the region are currently confused as harsh climatic black coffee twig borer continues to cause havoc on Robusta coffee plantations. This is happening as both the government and Buganda Kingdom are encouraging locals in the region to grow coffee if they are to fight poverty in their households.

According to entomologists, black coffee twig borer was first detected in Uganda in 1993. Scientists say it spreads very fast during the dry seasons.

As it tries to look for its survival, the borer makes tiny channels on the twigs that bear coffee cherries and lays eggs inside causing the leaves and twigs to wilt. “In the first one week after the black twig borer has entered, the leaves on the infested twigs turn dull green, twist inward, and wilt. After another week the leaves turn brown,” scientists say.

The most affected districts hit by the borer include; Masaka, Kyotera, Bukomansimbi, Lwengo, Sembabule and Kalungu.

Masaka LC5 Chairman, Andrew Batemyeto who is also a coffee farmer said the pest has spread to many coffee farms during the dry spell. ”We have observed rapid destruction of coffee plantations by the strange twig borer which is very difficult to manage,” he said.

He said all efforts in using different types of pesticides have failed to repel the pest.

Rogers Kisubika, a farmer in Kyesiiga village, said his five acres of coffee have been attacked by the pest, making him register low yields of Robusta coffee from 85 bags to 33 bags.

”Many of us whose livelihood is dependent on coffee, are currently suffering from the adverse effects of climate change and our potential for coffee production is going down.”

”We have no rains nor irrigation system to keep our coffee plants alive,” he explained, adding that twig borers multiply very fast during the dry weather conditions.

Masaka District Agricultural Officer, Dennis Ssebinojjo said 75 percent of coffee yields have been lost in Masaka district due to the black coffee twig borer.

Fighting the black coffee twig borer

Ssebinojjo has advised farmers to regularly prune and burn infected twigs. ”Pruning is important to keep some sunlight into the coffee plantation to avoid the negative effects of too much shed,” he said.

Coffee farmers have been advised to adopt agroforestry where coffee trees can be planted in banana plantations to provide sheds. “Planting shed tree species and bananas in an integrated arrangement is one of the climate change mitigation measures to harsh dry weather conditions that causes the rapid spread of coffee twig borers.”

Masaka district entomologist, Godfrey Bwogi said the National Agricultural Coffee Research Institute has recommended Albizia Chinensis to be intercropped with coffee as it provides info-chemicals that repel strange pests like black coffee twig borer. Albizia Chinensis is a species of legume in the genus Albizia, native to south and southeast Asia, from India to China and Indonesia.

Albizia Chinensis is a fast-growing legume that gives good shed to the coffee. It grows up to 30m tall with a flat crown and outspread and its small leaves allow little sunshine to go through them. It also provides soil fertility and fodder.

Bwogi said if farmers plant Albizia Chinensis shed trees with the right spacing for the coffee and banana, it will help to repel the spread of twig borer pests and avoid other potential negative effects. ”Albizia chinensis should be planted within five metres radius to the coffee plant,” he advised.

”Agro-forestry system increases resilience and ability to tolerate harsh weather conditions in a changing climate,” he noted adding that shade provided by leguminous trees with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and bananas will thus regulate the photosynthesis rhythm of the coffee which gives a more long-lasting and high-yielding coffee production.

He said dry seasons cause a reduction in photosynthesis and when high temperatures occur during the flowering of coffee plants, then yields are affected.

Bwogi warned that it is important for farmers to be aware of the consequences of too much shed and they should only plant trees whose leaves decompose easily and their root systems are deep enough not to compete with the coffee for water.

Masaka regional coordinator for Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA], Charles Wasswa advised farmers to use pesticides or chemicals recommended by government to increase productivity and resilience to climate change. He said UCDA working with the districts’ forest departments, have started providing shed tree seedlings and Robusta coffee resistant diseases.

Growing coffee under shade can be of economic value to the farmers as it requires less input in terms of fertilizers and chemicals, but also essential to protect the coffee from climate extremes and water loss.

https://thecooperator.news/dangerous-borer-destroys-over-900-acres-of-coffee-in-kyotera-and-masaka/

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