Spatial Distribution of Enset Bacterial Wilt (Xanthomonas campestris Pv. musacearum) and its Association with Biophysical Factors in Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) bacterial wilt (EBW), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, is one of the highly destructive diseases of enset in Ethiopia. Field survey was conducted to determine the distribution of EBW and its association with biophysical variables in Southwestern Ethiopia. In the survey, 120 enset fields in 10 major enset growing districts were assessed. The mean disease Spatial Distribution of Enset Bacterial Wilt [34] incidence across districts ranged from 23.67 to 31.92%, and significantly different levels of disease severity were recorded among districts. Thus, among districts, the highest mean disease severity of 62.50% was recorded from Semen-bench, whereas Andiracha district showed the lowest (49.58%) mean severity. Logistic regression analysis indicated that EBW incidence of >25% had high probability of association with enset grown on soils with pH of 5.5-7, sole cropped, susceptible clones, using planting materials obtained from other farmers and enset fields with no weeding and EBW management practices. EBW severity of >55% had high probability of association with growing enset in Semen-bench and Yeki districts, weed management through machete slashing, growing local susceptible enset clones, vegetative to maturity growth stages, and low to medium levels of farmer’s awareness about EBW. Findings of this survey indicate that EBW is widely distributed and could be minimized through growing enset preferably on soils out of pH 5.5-7 ranges, intercropping system, proper weeding, access to disease-free planting material, disinfecting farm tools before using, rouging out and burning of infected plants, accessing of advisory services, and limiting free exchange of planting material among enset growe