Occurrence of plant-parasitic nematodes on enset (Ensete ventricosum) in Ethiopia with focus on Pratylenchus goodeyi as a key species of the crop

What is it about?

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is an important starch staple crop, which matures after seven years in the field, but can be harvested earlier in cases of food shortages, thus serves also as a food bank for farmers in South and Southwestern Ethiopia. The corm and the base of the leaves have the starch accumulation which is used in numerous Ethiopian dishes. Related to the banana family, enset is similarly affected by plant-parasitic nematodes damaging the crop totally, or reducing yields. This survey looked at the distribution, population density and incidence of plant-parasitic nematodes of enset in major enset growing zones of Ethiopia. Eleven plant-parasitic nematode taxa were identified, with Pratylenchus (lesion nematode) being the most prominent genus present in each sample. This lesion nematode was more abundant in the cooler mountainous regions. Visible damage on the roots and corms were manifested as dark purple lesions. Using a combination of morphometric and molecular data, all populations were identified as P. goodeyi and were similar to populations in banana growing regions in Kenya, Uganda and Tenerife. Differences in population densities amongst cultivars indicate possible resistance of enset to the nematode P. goodeyi.

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