Dangerous borer destroys over 900 acres of coffee in Kyotera and Masaka

KYOTERA– At least 952 acres of coffee gardens have been destroyed in the districts of Kyotera and Masaka after coffee black twig borer invaded the area, causing losses to the farmers.

The farmers are now crying for help from government after their coffee plantations started drying up. They explained that the black coffee twig borers are widely spreading through Rubosta coffee plantations in the area since January 2022, a serious threat that has led to low volumes of coffee harvests and poor earnings.

The affected sub-counties include Kasaali and Kalisizo town council in Kyotera district, Dwaniro, Kyalurangira in Rakai district, and Buwunga Subcounty in Masaka district where most of the coffee gardens whose tree branches with cherries have been affected and also characterised by withering of the leaves.

Athanasius Buliggwanga a farmer at Matale-Kinaawa village in Kalisizo town council said he has four acres of coffee plantations but his yields have reduced from 30 bags of coffee to 15 bags each season after his plantations were infested by the pests.

He said the borers are very tinny, not easily seen and they make pin-size holes on the twigs but by the time farmers realize to fight it, the coffee plants are already infested.

The coffee farmer said the destruction is spreading very fast despite all the sensitization and technical guidance given to coffee farmers in controlling the strange pest. He said his coffee plantations are continuing to wither especially during the current dry spell.

”Agricultural extension workers advised us to make a routine inspection of our coffee plantations, break off the affected twigs, burn the infested coffee plants and spray with recommended pesticides, but all our efforts in the fight against this strange pest have failed,” Buliggwanga said.

Moses Muyombya another coffee farmer at Kinaawa village said all his two acres of coffee tree plants have withered and his farm yield has reduced from 20 bags to only eight bags this harvesting season. He is now asking government to do more research on the control of the twig borer pests and discover pesticides that can kill the borers.

Masaka District Agricultural Officer, Dennis Ssebinojjo said more than 200 acres of coffee fields in the sub-couties of Buwunga, Kyanamukaka, and part of Bukakaka Sub-county have been invaded by the black twig borer.

He said coffee is a major cash crop for the district but the outbreak of the strange twig borer has affected the coffee production from 85 percent as per the district’s survey report of 2020 to 69 percent in 2022. He said farmers are trained and sensitised on control measures and which recommended pesticides to be used.

Bernard Wadda a coffee trader at Kabonera village said his factory hardly receive coffee from the farmers since the black twig borer invaded Kabonera Subcounty in Masaka district. He said he used to get 50 bags of coffee on a daily basis but drastically reduced to 17 bags.

Masaka regional coordinator for Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA], Charles Wasswa said Robusta coffee plantations are the most affected in the region and that UCDA has established nursery beds with coffee seedlings coronal cuttings which are resistant to pests and diseases.

The coffee black twig borer also recently destroyed coffee plantations in the Mukono district during the dry season.

According to scientists, the adult coffee twig borer is a small [1-2 milimetres long] shiny black insect that is oval in shape. The beetle spends much of its life inside the coffee branch and is usually only seen when the branch is broken open.

How the pests destroy coffee branches

Scientists say female black twig borers tunnel into the current year’s twigs, leaving pin-sized entry holes. Once inside, they tunnel through the young coffee branches. One to three females is enough to kill the twig or branch.

The first sign of the infestation is the yellowing of the leaves on a branch. If this is seen then the branch should be inspected for the tiny entrance holes usually located on the branch underside. A whitish pile of dust can sometimes be seen at each hole.

“If no holes are visible then try gently bending the branch to test for weakness. The petiole will break at the point of entry and occasionally a tiny beetle may be seen. Later signs of infestation are a blackening of the stem and leaves from the entrance hole towards the tip of the branch. Wilting of twigs and branches is usually seen within weeks of infestation,” says Lydia Mukasa of Nnama Sub-county Agricultural Office, Mukono district.

Management

• Provide good shade
• Pruning and burning of beetle-infested plant material are essential.
• Good tree care will promote vigor and help in resisting infestation or recovering from infestation.

Chemical control

• Spray the whole plant with deltamethrin 12g/l + chlorpyrifos 300g/l, or fenitrothion pesticides. Mix according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the label and apply the following way:
• Spray young coffee plants the first time one year after transplanting, before flowering.
• In older coffee plantations, spray after the desuckering and before flowering.
• Then spray once every 2 weeks, 3 times in total during the season.
• When using a pesticide, always wear protective clothing and follow the instructions on the product label, such as dosage, timing of application, and pre-harvest interval.

https://thecooperator.news/world-coffee-producers-discuss-sectors-challenges-and-opportunities/

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