IITA IPM project 27: Finger millet blast in East Africa: Pathogen diversity and disease management strategies

Duration: 2 years (2002 to 2004)

Purpose: To Characterize and manage finger millet blast in Eastern Africa and minimize the impact of significant pests of cereal-based systems

Background/description: In the semi-arid tropics of Eastern Africa, finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is a major staple food for millions of resource poor people. This cereal plays an important role in the dietary habits and economy of subsistence farmers and is especially important for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. Blast caused by Magnaporthe grisea (anamorph Pyricularia grisea) has been identified as the highest priority constraint to finger millet production in East Africa by a recent NARO needs-assessment exercise. Blast is common in Uganda and Kenya and affects finger millet at all stages of growth. Most of the finger millet land-races and a number of other genotypes are highly susceptible to blast. Panicle blast (neck and/or finger) is the most destructive phase of the disease and can cause failure of the grain to set and seeds to shrivel, sometimes resulting in total loss of the panicle. Although it has been suggested that the pathogen overseasons on seed and crop debris as well as weeds and wild grasses, very little is known of the genetic and pathogenic diversity of the finger millet blast pathogen in East Africa. The major objectives of the project are to characterize the pathogen populations, investigate the potential of seeds, weeds and wild grasses to serve as inoculum reservoirs; understand the relationship between isolates causing different types of blast and identify resistance sources in order to ameliorate the constraint posed by blast. IITA’s involvement in the project will be only in the area of disease epidemiology.

Agroecozone(s) and location(s): Semi-Arid in Uganda and Kenya

Expected outputs: Knowledge gained on the pathogen diversity, epidemiology, major sources of inoculum, key disease intervention points and host reactions will be used to develop improved disease management and successful resistance breeding and deployment strategies, especially in the context of the use of varietal mixtures.

Potential impact and beneficiaries: The immediate beneficiaries are pathologists and breeders at SAARI, Uganda and ICRISAT, Kenya and associated NARO/NARES (e.g. KARI, Kenya) as well as pathologists, breeders, extension workers, NGOs and stakeholders in the ASARECA Regional Network ECARSAM, who will benefit from these outputs. Based on the outputs, development of viable technologies for the deployment of host resistance and disease intervention (e.g. seed treatment, if seed borne inoculum is critical; weed management if acting as inoculum reservoirs) and promotion of finger millet blast management practices suitable to East African production systems will lead to a longer-term benefit to local subsistence farmers and resource-poor consumers. Minimizing the crop losses will contribute to poverty reduction through enhancing food security, welfare and livelihoods

Partners: a) Horticulture Research International (HRI), Wellesbourne, UK; b) ICRISAT, Nairobi, Kenya; c) Serere Agricultural and Animal Research Station (SAARI), Serere, Uganda.

Development investor(s): DFID through Horticulture Research International (HRI).

IITA contact person(s)/principal investigator(s): Ranajit Bandyopadhyay R.Bandyopadhyay@cgiar.org website http://www.iita.org