By Umar Nsubuga
A devastating elephant grass disease, the Napier smut and stunt diseases are spread in some Ugandan districts.
This is a big threat to the livestock sector since elephant grass forms almost 60% of the fodder requirements for zero-grazing cattle.
Fighting the disease
Dr Jolly Kabirizi advises farmers to report any suspicious yellowing of the elephant grass in your area or farm to authorities.
She also advises farmers to uproot and burn affected grass.
When planting, Kabirizi says get stems from a clean source. The stems should not have signs of the disease such as stunting and yellowing of the leaves.
Consult your farm advisor on how to get more information about the interventions.
Report any signs of the disease on maize or sugarcane.
However, no scientific evidence has proven that feeding animals on affected grass make them sick.
