Ethiopia's highlands are considered perfect land for lentil production. However, yields have declined in recent years. A combination of pests, diseases and lack of access to healthy seed has seen Ethiopia's lentil-growing areas decline from over 119,000 hectares to less than 70,000 hectares in the 2021-22 cropping season. This has risked farmers' livelihoods and forced the country to import lentils to stabilise the market.
With support from an $A2.14 million initiative funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and spearheaded by the University of Western Australia, a new and comprehensive virology lab/testing capacity has been developed for Ethiopia.
In an initiative by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), local Ethiopian researchers have now been trained so that farmers can, for the first time, distinguish diseases caused by viruses and their vectors from other problems, like fungal diseases or insect damage.
Previously, without a local diagnostic facility, growers had to use costly, time-consuming foreign testing. However, on-site virus identification using techniques like the Tissue Blot Immunoassay (TBIA) provides a cost-effective and straightforward method for diagnosing viral diseases, allowing farmers to distinguish these from other ills like fungal diseases or insect damage.
'This precision prevents the unnecessary use of pesticides, saves money by not using chemical sprays, and protects the environment, said Dr Safaa Kumari, a Plant Virologist and the Head of ICARDA Seed Health Laboratory. 'Moreover, the laboratory has provided quick and efficient diagnoses. Specimens can be dotted and prepared domestically, minimising shipping time overseas.'
This has accelerated the response to outbreaks and fostered local expertise in virus identification and management.
Lab impact goes beyond diagnostics
The laboratory's impact extends well beyond diagnostics. Farmers are trained to recognise virus symptoms and vectors, use virus-free seeds, and integrate management practices to combat pests and viruses. The lab's research output has led to targeted strategies involving breeding virus-resistant lentil varieties, producing clean seeds, and deploying sustainable pest management techniques.
'The advantages of advances made by Ethiopian virologists are not only beneficial within borders, as viruses affecting legumes in lentil crops would threaten crops such as chickpeas and faba beans in regions extending to South Asia, North Africa and Australia,' said Prof Martin Barbetti, Project Manager and an expert in Plant Pathology and Mycology.
'Such a region-based research network in surveillance has immense possibilities for knowledge exchange, sharing germplasm, and cooperation in containment at the regional global scale.'
Increased productivity through research
This improvement shows the Ethiopian government's commitment to increasing lentil production through research and reducing imports. The country is laying out a clear path for a future with sustainable and prosperous agriculture by modernising national and regional research facilities and training a new generation of virology experts.
Dr Richard Brettell, the acting Research Program Manager for Crops at ACIAR, said, 'Investing in this project aligns with our mission to support sustainable agricultural solutions that drive impact where it matters most. Through research partnerships and knowledge-sharing, we are helping Ethiopian farmers regain productivity by improving disease detection, breeding resistant varieties, and integrating sustainable management practices. The Australian agricultural sector also benefits from this work through increased knowledge about disease resistance.'
Learn more via the ACIAR website.
