Deadly bacterial wilt disease free ''wesse'' for Sidama
[ADDIS ABABA] A research project for developing varieties of enset, a traditional Ethiopian crop which resembles the banana plant, resistant to the deadly bacterial wilt disease has been launched. The project launched last month (16 December) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is expected to address the perennial problem of the bacterial wilt disease that has remained a nightmare for scientists and farmers in the country. The disease is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, and results in total crop wilt. “Bacterial wilt is the major threat to enset, which supports the livelihoods of nearly 20 million smallholder farmers.” Adugna Wakjira, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) Adugna Wakjira, the deputy director of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), tells SciDev.Net : “Bacterial wilt is the major threat to enset, which supports the livelihoods of nearly 20 million smallholder farmers,” adding that lack of res