This is particularly evident in the Sidama region, where farmers are accustomed to putting fertilizer on coffee, and have cash incomes from coffee sales. As available land per capita becomes more limited, the role of ruminant livestock for manure supply becomes one of the greatest threats to the future of this highly successful, sustainable, indigenous system. The potential for alternatives has not yet been researched. There are no research data available as a base to use for advising farmers on the rates of manure and inorganic fertilizer that should be applied to enset. Similarly, there is no information on the effect of soil type, environment, age and size of enset plant, harvesting management, intercropping, or any other variable on optimum rates of manure or fertilizer.
Diseases are collectively the most severe biological problem facing enset.
The damage that diseases can cause and the lack of knowledge about or implementation of preventative strategies contribute to the severity of enset plant diseases. Diseases are caused by several bacteria, nematodes, fungi, and viruses. Bacterial wilt, caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv musacearum, is the most threatening to the enset system. Bacterial wilt attacks plants at any stage, including full maturity. When bacterial wilt, or any other cause, kills an enset plant late in its life cycle, it is a particularly serious loss.