Over the next two years, if uncontrolled, a disease known as Phytophthora could potentially wipe out avocado and macadamia trees in Murang’a and neighbouring counties in Kenya.
Olivado EPZ Ltd field officer Michael Gitahi, said that after realising the disease had invaded tree nurseries, the company decided to grow its own seedlings through the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation to ensure the pathogen is not transferred to the seedlings.
The company, he said, has now embarked on training farmers and nursery operators on the disease and how to eradicate it.
He noted that 70 percent of its 1,300 farmers are from Murang’a county. “We are working with the county government to make sure all extension officers are enlightened on the disease to help curb its spread.”
Gitahi said the major symptoms of the disease are wilting of leaves and drying up of branches, which leads to the eventual death of the tree.
He urged farmers to stop buying seedlings from roadside tree nurseries, whose source of scions is untraceable.
Source: Fresh Plaza