Ethiopian Researchers Discover New Drug for Coffee Wilt Disease Prevention

Addis Ababa July 21/2022/ENA/ Researchers in Addis Ababa University have discovered a new drug to prevent coffee wilt disease in the country.

The researchers said the new drug, which has been discovered following 18 years of researches, will replace ‘Trichoderma Fungicide’ that the country has been importing to prevent various plant diseases including coffee wilt.

According to the researchers, the new drug will be implemented by using  biological fungus without applying any kinds of chemical.   

Lecturer and researcher at Microbial Cellular and Molecule Biology Department of the Addis Ababa University, Dr. Tesfaye Alemu told ENA that as coffee is one of the key economic bases of Ethiopia, the newly invented drug would provide a great deal of benefits to the  country.  

The new drug has also been developed from wheat straw, residual flour, collected from Millhouses and other leftovers, he said, adding the drug will also prevent other plant diseases including the diseases of flowers in addition to coffee wilt.

Ethiopia imports Trichoderma Fungicide to prevent plant diseases including coffee wilt; however, the new discovery will help the nation to save foreign currency as it totally replaces the drug which has been imported and in use thus far, according to Dr. Tesfaye.    

In addition to preventing coffee disease, the researcher pointed out that the new drug will also play significant role in boosting the quality and productivity of Ethiopian coffee.

 Dr. Afrassa Mulatu, who is also member of research team said for his part  that between 30 to 40 percent of Ethiopia's coffee production has been suffering from coffee wilt disease.

Coffee wilt disease (tracheomycosis) is a common wilt that results in complete dying of coffee trees once infected. And there is no chemical control for coffee once the disease infected coffee plants.