Saving Kenya's Maize Crop
March 23, 2012| |
Farmers in Kenya are waiting for a new high-yielding maize variety resistant to herbicides to be released by the end of March 2012. The crop, developed to survive against Striga weed infestation, has been developed by a team of research scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Weizmann Institute, and BASF-Chemical Company.
The new variety, called "UaKayongo" (Swahili for "kill the Striga weed") is resistant to the herbicide Imazapyr, the most effective herbicide used by farmers to kill the Striga weed. A three-way cross hybrid, UaKayongo has demonstrated to yield up to five tons per hectare, a welcome relief to farmers who have nearly quit planting maize due to huge losses in the past.
For years, maize farmers in Kenya lose around 70-100% of their harvest due to Striga weed, a parasite that infests maize, sorghum, millet, and sugarcane fields. In Kenya's Western Province, where maize is the main cash and food crop, Striga affects 250,000 hectares of maize. The new maize variety will be distributed by the Kenya Seed Company when it is released.
For more details about this new development in Africa, visit http://www.ips.org/africa/2012/03/saving-kenya8217s-maize-crop/.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- GM Foods In Animals Safe Says International Consortium Study
- FAO Director-General: New Approach in Ending Hunger
- Saving Kenya's Maize Crop
- Minister of Agriculture Launches Vitamin A Cassava in Nigeria
- New and Much Cheaper Genomics Technique Takes Off
- Field Crops Insects Respond to Strange Weather
- U.S. Gov't Reaffirms Support of Agri-biotech
- Quadruple Stacked GM Corn Receives Approval in Argentina
- Biotechnology Plays Key Role in Virus Disease Management, says Philippine Professor
- Pakistan NBC Approves Bt Corn Trial
- Philippine Study: Corn Borer Populations Remain Susceptible to Bt Corn
- Australian OGTR Issues License for Environmental Release of GM Wheat and Barley
- 31st FAO Conference Decisions for Vietnam and the Region
- Malaysian Scientists Develop Superior Red Rice BANGI
- Aberystwyth University and Ceres Complete Full Genetic Map of Miscanthus
- Botanists Use DNA and English in Describing New Plants Species
- Use of Crop Protection Products Improves Carbon Footprint
- Scientists Explain Why Flowers Bloom Earlier With Climate Change
- Artificial Soils From Sewage Sludge and Metallurgical Waste
-
Research Highlights
- How Rice Blast Fungus Achieves Full Virulence
- Overexpression of BB-CBF Enhances Cold Tolerance in Blueberry
- Scientists Map Water Saving Traits in Pearl Millet
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- CSIRO Book Uncovers Nature's Nano-secrets
- Good Genes: Secret to Better Skin
-
Announcements
- World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
- Nominations for Borlaug Global Rust Initiative Gene Stewardship Award
-
Resources
- Conclusions of the EU Council and the Member States on the Strategy towards the Int'l Plant Protection Convention
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 17, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 10, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet