DFID Research4Development Project Record
Development of Coffee IPM Components in Kenya
R4D Project URL:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/R4D/Project/1577/Default.aspx
Start Date:
01-10-1996
End Date:
30-12-1999
R Number:
R6782
DFID Programme:
Crop Protection
Funding Departments:
Central Research Department (now Research and Evidence Division)
Regions:
Africa, Eastern Africa
Countries:
Kenya
Objectives:
To enable the development of holistic and integrated insect pest and disease management approaches for small scale coffee farmers through evaluation and development of natural biocontrol and cultural practices.
Background:
Coffee in Kenya is an important cash and export crop for small scale farmers. It has been estimated that small holder farmers produce 60% of the export crop. Although both arabica and robusta coffee is grown, arabica forms 90% of the export crop in Kenya. The crop suffers heavy yield losses due to damage caused by a wide range of indigenous pests (insects, diseases and weeds) which affect the quality of coffee either individually or in combination. Yield losses of up to 30% have been associated with the coffee berry disease. Infestations by antestia bugs and berry borer directly lower the bean and liquor qualities. Current recommended pest control measures in Kenya include a combination of cultural practices (pruning, sanitation, mulching), the use of resisitant varieties, eg Ruiru 11 which has high resistance to coffee berry disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust (CLR), and the use of broad spectrum synthetic pesticides. Chemical pesticides are far more popular at the farmer level than the other recommended pest control measures. Chemical control techniques have received much attention in the past, particularly for the control of the major coffee diseases (coffee berry disease, leaf rust and bacterial blight of coffee) for which fungicide application is still the main recommended practice despite the economic and environmental cost. Detrimental side-effects of pesticide application on coffee are also well known. This proposal will concentrate on establishing baseline data on current pesticide usage by the small scale farmers in Kenya, assess its economic and biological effectiveness and the interactions with natural biocontrol/or cultural processes which contribute to insect pest and disease control.
Intended Outputs:
Quantification of benefits and constraints, and usage and efficiency of recommended and actual small scale coffee farmer practices for the control of pests and diseases of coffee.
Evaluation of contributions of natural biocontrol systems and cultural practices to insect pest and disease control on coffee in farmers fields and how these are affected by current farmer practices including pesticide use.
IPM components identified, characterised and targetted for subsequent development by the other elements of a broader, on-farm coffee IPM proposal.
Uptake of outputs into regional coffee IPM project.
Progress and Impact:
Quantification of benefits and constraints, and usage and efficiency of recommended and actual smallholder farmer practices for coffee pest/disease control.
Evaluation of the contribution which natural biocontrol systems provide to coffee pest/disease control in farmers' fields, and how these are affected by the current cultural and pest control practices of smallholder farmers.
IPM components identified and characterised, or targetted for current/subsequent development by CRF and other coffee research institutes in East Africa as elements of the broader coffee IPM proposal for amalgamation into holistic on-farm IPM system.
Uptake of outputs into regional coffee IPM project.
Socio-economic factors constraining smallholder coffee farmers in Kenya established.
The project has produced the first, comprehensive report on socio-economic factors influencing pest management practices by smallholder coffee farmers in Central Kenya. The occurrence and identity of beneficial, natural enemies (including pathogens, predators and parasitoids) of coffee pests and diseases in Central Kenya has also been established. Finally, the project has facilitated the development and establishment of the first Regional Coffee Research Network, CORNET, under the auspices of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).
Project Conclusions:
A socio-economic survey of 200 smallholder coffee farmers in Kenya identified the main socio-economic constraints, together with the key pest and disease problems, and their management, as perceived by the farmers. Baseline information on the distribution and importance of insect pests, diseases and natural enemies, on smallholder coffee farms in Central Kenya was established during a year-long study of selected farms, in contrasting agro-ecological zones. Subsequent on-farm experiments revealed the effect of specific farmer practices (identified during the baseline study), on pests, diseases and natural enemies. More than fifty potential biocontrol agents, including pathogens (fungi and bacteria), parasitoids and predators of key insect pests and diseases were collected, identified and characterised. The efficacy of these biocontrol agents, together with other IPM components, now needs to be evaluated further, on-farm. Finally, the original proposal for a Regional Coffee IPM project was expanded, under the guidance of the ASARECA Committee of Directors (CoD), into a Regional Coffee Research Network, CORNET, which includes all aspects of coffee production, processing and marketing. CABI-ARC has been appointed as the implementing agency, and EU funding for network co-ordnation is expected to be made available in July 2000.
Total Cost to DFID:
£149,785
MIS Code:
781648001
Publications:
Waller JM. (in press). Recent advances in the understanding of colletotrichum diseases of some tropical perennial crops. In: Host Specificity, Pathology and Host Pathogen Interactions of Colletotrichum. Prusky D, Freeman S and Dickman M (eds). American Phytopathology Society (A)
Gitonga KTK, Gichuru EK, Nyambo BT, Mugo H, Masaba DM and Omondi GO (1997). Survey of coffee crop protection practices by small-scale farmers in central and eastern provinces of Kenya. Report 1. CAB International Africa Regional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. (C)
Kimemia JK (1998). Overview report on coffee soil and leaf analysis. CAB International Africa Regional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. (C)
Gichuru EK (1998). Report on IPM Project (Plant Pathology Section). 8 pp. Report 3. CAB International Africa Regional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. (C)
Oduor G, Simons SA, Masaba DM, Kimemia JK, Mugo J, Gichuru EK and Chacha D (1999). Effect of agro-ecological zone on the incidence of pests, their natural enemies and coffee diseases in Central Kenya. CAB International Africa Regional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. (C)
Oduor G, Masaba DM, Simons SA, Mugo J, Kimemia JK, Gichuru EK and Chacha D. (1999). Effect of farmer practice on the incidence of pests, their natural enemies and coffee diseases in central Kenya, September 1999. CAB International Africa Regional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. (C)
Gitonga KTK (1998). Socio-economic constrants to sustainable crop protection in the smallholder coffee systems in the central Kenya highlands. MSc thesis. Wye College, University of London, UK. (F)
Paper File Reference:
NRB 9800 312/792/002