A synthesis of the work of the Regional Coffee Wilt Programme 2000–2007. Coffee Wilt Disease in Africa

<p>This technical report synthesizes the findings of the various projects (including this DFID-funded project) that were carried out by the Regional Coffee Wilt Programme (RCWP) during the years 2000–2007, which was developed in response to the rapidly worsening status of coffee wilt disease (CWD) in the four African countries affected: Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The report represents the current 'state-of-the-art' of our knowledge about this serious disease. The programme was funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the European Union (EU), and Department for International Development (DFID), with the contribution of participating countries, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as research support from the Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) and the Université Catholique du Louvain (UCL). The programme was implemented under the supervision of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), and executed by CAB International Africa.</p> <p>The report is presented in 16 main chapters:<br/> 1. Coffee Wilt: The Problem and the Project<br/> 2. The Status of Coffee Wilt Disease in Africa<br/> 3. Farms and Farmers: Agronomic and Socio-economic Surveys <br/> 4. Characterization of the CWD Pathogen <br/> 5. Establishing a CWD Collection <br/> 6. Characterization of Robusta Diversity<br/> 7. Screening of Robusta for Resistance to CWD <br/> 8. Screening of Arabica for Resistance to CWD<br/> 9. Towards a Robusta Variety Resistant to CWD <br/> 10. CWD Survival and Transmission: Field studies of CWD infection <br/> 11. Spatial and Temporal Mapping of CWD<br/> 12. Evaluating Preventative Measures Against CWD<br/> 13. Management of CWD<br/> 14. Dissemination and Training to Extensionists and Farmers <br/> 15. Dissemination of Information<br/> 16. Conclusions and Recommendations<br/><br/> There are 4 appendices:<br/> Appendix 1: Regional Biological Surveys for CWD in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda<br/> Appendix 2: Socio-economic Survey<br/> Appendix 3: Tools<br/> Appendix 4: Specialist Training: An International Course on Isolation and Identification of Fusaria from Coffee </p>