Nairobi, Kenya
April 30, 2009
Written by
Africa Science
News Service correspondent
The Kenya Agricultural Research
Institute (KARI) reports that it has adopted Bt maize which
is more resistant to crop pest, chief of which is maize stem
borer responsible for up to 40 percent yield loss.
According to Dr Joel Mutisya, KARI hopes the variety will be
resistant and boost maize productivity; the trials would test
the resilience of the breed.
"KARI is pleased to announce the planting of these trials after
years of laboratory research, as part of approach to help Kenyan
farmers fight Stem Borers," he said during an interview. He
asserts that the produce from the experiment would be safe to
eat.
Stem Borer larva is blamed for the east African country
dependence on maize imports, hitting the incomes of farmers and
reducing food security.
"It is safe for consumption, but until tests are done and
certification done by the government, it will not be released to
the general public," he added.
Over 130 insect pests have been reported to infest maize but
only very few are serious and require management. Amongst these,
the most serious pests are the stem borers.
The Stem Borer is the caterpillar of an indigenous African moth
that bores into grasses with thick stems, and maize is one of
its preferred hosts.
Stem borers cause maize plants to become brown and stunted, and
the damage can seriously reduce yields.
It is estimated that 400,000 tonnes of maize is lost to pests,
especially stem borers like the Maize Stock Borer.
This is close to the total amount of maize imported by Kenya
annually. This loss directly affects the livelihoods of
thousands of families who rely on maize as a staple food and as
a source of income.
Dr Mutisya states, "the maize would also be crossed with Kenyan
varieties to boost its hardiness and adaptation to Kenyan
growing conditions."
This is the first time the insect-resistant maize has been
planted directly into the soil in an open field in sub-Saharan
Africa outside South Africa.
The experimental fields are not accessible by people, domestic
animals or wildlife.Maize plants expressing Bt are associated
with many non target weed species with ecosystem functions vital
to maize production in Kenya.
A selection process is developed that highlights which species
are the highest priorities for looking at possible impacts -
pollinators, predators, possible pests, weeds or soil functions.
Resistance developed in the four stem borer species (Chilo
partellus, Chilo orichalcociliellus, Sesamia calamistis and
Busseola fusca) in Kenya will be a real risk without appropriate
management strategies.
These are the main targets for Bt maize, although other pests
such as Helicoverpa armigera should also be considered.
Large-scale farmers can plant refuges of non-Bt maize, but for
the smallholder maize production, typical of Kenya, other
solutions are needed.
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