Rwanda: Scientists seek response to disease that erodes 80% of Irish potatoes

Late Blight is a critical potato disease that can lead to crop failures if effective control measures are not implemented promptly. Losses in potato yield can go as high as 80 per cent in epidemic years. A sustainable solution is needed in Rwanda given that the country produces about one million tonnes of Irish potatoes every year, making it the third most popular food crop produced in the country. The northern volcanic region, where the disease is prevalent accounts for more than 80 per cent of national potato production. Matthias Trapp, a senior agriculture scientist, said he will collaborate, from 2023 to 2024, with the Government of Rwanda and other partners on a research project called "Weather and Pest Information System for Late Blight Disease by using different scalable technologies in selected areas of Rwanda" which will improve the forecast of the disease. The research is among 160 research projects showcased at the climate research conference in Kigali during a session ...