University of Rwanda Digital Repository

Potato bacterial wilt in Rwanda: occurrence, risk factors, farmers’ knowledge and attitudes

Show simple item record

dc.contributor.author Florence, Uwamahoro
dc.contributor.author Anna, Berlin
dc.contributor.author Charles, Bucagu
dc.contributor.author Helena, Bylund
dc.contributor.author Jonathan, Yuen
dc.date.accessioned 2020-01-07T09:55:15Z
dc.date.available 2020-01-07T09:55:15Z
dc.date.issued 2018-10
dc.identifier.citation Food security en_US
dc.identifier.other https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-018-0834-z
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/587
dc.description.abstract Potato is an important food commodity and efforts to increase its productivity should focus on addressing production limiting factors. Potato bacterial wilt (PBW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the major constraints to potato production in Rwanda and no single method effectively controls the disease. Development of a sustainable management approach requires understanding of PBW distribution, risk factors, farmers’ knowledge and management attitudes. Therefore, we surveyed PBW disease and interviewed farmers in eight districts of Rwanda during March–April 2015. We detected PBW in all the surveyed districts and it was ranked as the major potato disease constraint. Among districts, disease incidence and severity varied from 5 to 24% and 3 to 13%, respectively, and was significantly higher in minor compared to major potato growing districts. Low PBW incidence and severity were associated with high altitude and low planting density, intercropping, crop rotation and avoidance of sharing farm tools. In all districts, farmers had little knowledge about PBW detection and spread, and the farmers’ awareness of PBW management was often inconsistent with their practices. This incomplete knowledge about PBW was likely caused by inadequate extension services since most information about PBW was acquired from fellow farmers, parents or other relatives. Thus raising awareness of PBW and integrated disease management, including practices that are associated with low PBW, could limit the impact of this disease and help to secure food and income for potato growing farmers in Rwanda. en_US
dc.description.sponsorship This work was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through the UR-Sweden Programme for Research, Higher Education and Institutional Advancement. We are grateful to the University of Rwanda (UR), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and everyone who contributed to this research. en_US
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.publisher Food Security en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries Volume 10;Issue 5, pp 1221–1235
dc.subject Solanum tuberosum, Ralstonia solanacearum, Potato farming, Awareness, Logistic regression, Potato brown rot en_US
dc.title Potato bacterial wilt in Rwanda: occurrence, risk factors, farmers’ knowledge and attitudes en_US
dc.type Article en_US


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search Repository


Browse

My Account