enset

Experimental confirmation of the leafhopper Cicadella cosmopolita as a potential vector of Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum of enset in Ethiopia

Enset Xanthomonas wilt (EXW), caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm), severely impacts enset cultivation in the Ethiopian highlands. Controlled net trials demonstrated that healthy enset plants developed EXW symptoms after exposure to leafhoppers that continuously fed on Xvm-inoculated plants. Given the omnipresence of the leafhoppers in several of the studied enset-production landscapes, best management remains the timely and complete removal of all diseased plants, the use of disease-free planting materials, and clean garden tools, which in turn will also keep the risk of secondary leafhopper-vectored transmission at a minimum. Extension services should emphasize the increased EXW transmission risk in areas with high leafhopper populations as part of an integrated EXW management strategy.