Source: Africancrops.net

The Partnership to Control Striga in Kenya has organized an event in Kisumu City, Kenya on 13-15 December 2006 to facilitate the commercial release of Striga-resistant maize, locally known as Ua Kayongo.

The commercial release is led by Western Seed Company and follows extensive tests, farm trials and awareness activities conducted in the last two years involving Ua Kayongo maize and other Striga eradication options for over 10,000 small scale farmers in western Kenya. These activities were aimed at confining, reducing and eliminating Striga infestation in order to improve maize yields, food security and wellbeing of the rural poor.

The Partnership is led by Agricultural Technology Foundation, BASF, CIMMYT and FORMAT in collaboration with a network of NGOs, seed companies, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and farmer associations in Kenya. Striga hermonthica has infested approximately 200,000 ha in Nyanza and Western Provinces of Kenya and resulted in crop losses estimated at $80 million per year. 

The new herbicide-resistant maize hybrid and seed coated herbicide technology is based upon inherited resistance of maize to a systemic herbicide (imazapyr), a mechanism widely recognized as imazapyr-resistance (I-R).  When I-R maize seed is coated with the herbicide, Striga attempting to parasitize the resulting plant are destroyed.  Imazapyr is marketed to Kenyan seed companies producing I-R Ua Kayongo maize (mixed vernacular for Striga killer) under the trade name Strigaway®.

More information about the event and Striga control in Kenya is available at www.africancrops.net/striga.

Inquiries can be directed to Canon Savala (FORMAT), email: format@wananchi.com), Nancy Muchiri (AATF), email: n.muchiri@aatf-africa.org) and Fred Kanampiu (CIMMYT), email: f.kanampiu@cgiar.org.

Comments about this news article can be posted and shared through the Maize Forum of the African Crops Message and Discussion Board or by email to: africancrops@wananchi.com.