1. Introduction
F. lateritium Nees ex Fr. var. longum Wollew is an important
ubiquitous soil borne wound phytopathogen causing Fusarium
bark disease (FBD) of Coffea arabica [1]. In Zimbabwe,
the disease is endemic to the Eastern coffee growing regions.
In these areas, it has been reported to cause serious economic
losses. Control of FBD in the region is restricted to the use
of copper oxychloride based fungicides together with good
agricultural practices and good hygiene practices. However,
for most small scale farmers, consistent use of commercial
fungicides is unsustainable as it significantly reduces the
profitability of coffee farming due to the prohibitive pricing of
the fungicide [2, 3]. Another constraint to the use of copper
oxychloride based fungicides is its potential environmental
implications as a pollutant [4] as well as the likelihood of
F. lateritium developing resistance to the fungicide [2]. In
this regard, it is worthwhile for small scale coffee farmers to
invest in alternative measures that are less costly and readily
available and pose a limited threat to the environment.