MADISON (WKOW) — As the calendar rolls into April, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources put out an advisory Wednesday urging residents to watch out for oak wilt disease.
As the calendar rolls into April, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources put out an advisory Wednesday urging residents to watch out for oak wilt disease.
Credit: CABI
Researchers have re-animated specimens of a fungus that causes coffee wilt to discover how the disease evolved and how its spread can be prevented.
Coffee Wilt Disease is caused by a fungus that has led to devastating outbreaks since the 1920s in sub-Saharan Africa, and currently affects two of Africa s most popular coffee varieties: Arabica and Robusta.
The new research shows that the fungus likely boosted its ability to infect coffee plants by acquiring genes from a closely related fungus, which causes wilt disease on a wide range of crops, including Panama disease in bananas.
The researchers say this knowledge could help farmers reduce the risk of new disease strains emerging, for example by not planting coffee together with other crops or by preventing the build-up of plant debris that could harbour the related fungus.
COFFEE KILLER - Researchers have re-animated specimens of a fungus that causes coffee wilt to discover how the disease evolved and how its spread can be prevented.