Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia can now feel a sense of relief following the introduction of new faba bean varieties and improved management practices developed by scientists from the University of Western Australia (UWA). These innovations aim to combat the deadly faba bean gall (FBG) disease, which has long posed a serious threat to the country’s vital pulse crop.
According to Desta Woldearegay, one of the affected smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, the disease quickly took over her fields destroying the precious harvest that her family relied on for food and income when the disease arrived in the country about a decade ago.
However, the bad days are soon over thanks to the intervention by the scientists through an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded project.
“I am now hopeful of a future where I can resume cultivating and boosting my yields,” Mrs Woldearegay said.
Curbing FBG’s spread
Ethiopia’s most crucial pulse crop is being safeguarded from FBG disease through UWA researchers’ efforts to investigate the disease, identify its cause for the first time, and introduce new management strategies to curb its spread.
The latest findings were reported during a recent project review and highlighted the conditions driving the spread of FBG in Ethiopia’s Amhara, Oromia and Tigray regions.
The report showed increased incidence of FBG is associated with high altitudes, poor soil drainage, high weed density and suboptimal planting times.
Resistant varieties
Project lead UWA Professor Martin Barbetti said developing faba bean varieties resistant to the disease was a top priority for the project.
Together with UWA Research Fellow Dr Mingpei You, Professor Barbetti identified the actual causal pathogen (Physoderma viciae) and developed a rapid PCR test for its identification.
“Combined with great work by Ethiopian colleagues defining its epidemiology and finding successful chemical control measures, this project has been foundational for development and implementation of successful management strategies against FBG disease,” he said.
Our ongoing research focuses on incorporating these traits into adapted faba bean lines to offer farmers long-term, sustainable solutions, he added.
Sustainable faba bean farming
ACIAR Acting Program Manager (Crops) Dr Richard Brettell said the project had laid a timely foundation for the country’s long-term sustainability of faba bean farming.
“Collaboration between Ethiopian and Australian scientists will continue to play a critical role in overcoming existing challenges and scaling the identified solutions to enhance food security in Ethiopia,” Dr Brettell said.
The project has also developed research capacity through supporting PhD students and training 26 Ethiopian scientists in disease management and crop improvement.
As the project transitions to its final phase, the research team plans to scale up the adoption of disease-resistant faba bean varieties and expand sustainable management practices across Ethiopia.
