New ndengu varieties launched

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has launched new varieties of ndengu (green gram) seed to combat food insecurity in the country.

These varieties were unveiled during a conference themed “Technology options and interventions for improving food security in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands”. Jeckonia Otieno spoke to KALRO Director Dr Eliud Kireger

Q: How long has it taken to come up with these varieties of drought resistant crops?

A: It has taken five years of painstaking research and with this farmers around the country can now access a raft of new drought resistant, high yielding and nutrition-rich crop varieties and technologies that will boost food security and improve incomes.

Q: Which are some of these crops that have been introduced?

A: The three new ndengu varieties made public today are Ndengu Tosha, Biashara and Karembo.

Q: What advantage do these have over other varieties of ndengu?

A: These three have a yield advantage of more than two tonnes per hectare compared to 1.5 tonnes per hectare produced by traditional existing varieties.

Q: Tell us about any other crops that have been introduced.

A: There are also bean varieties now available to farmers. These are Angaza, Metameta, Faida and Nyota beans.

Q: What difference do they have from other varieties of beans that have been planted before?

A: These new varieties are micro-nutrient rich, and mature fast both in hot, dry lowlands and cold, dry highlands. Tests show that Nyota bean is extra-rich in iron and zinc.

Q: What goals do these new developments aim to achieve?

A: Food security is still a challenge to Kenya and we seek to have fast-maturing varieties that will also address issues of nutrition among the general Kenyan population.

Q: How will these seeds get to the farmer?

A: We are now establishing linkages with seed companies and farmers for multiplication and distribution countrywide. This will enable as many farmers as possible to get the seeds for planting.

Q: Which farmers are you targeting?

A: We are targeting as many farmers as possible all over the country. Actually we are targeting as many as half a million small-holder farmers and pastoralists.

Q: Which partners were involved?

A: The new varieties and technologies were developed through the five-year Arid and Semi Arid Lands Agricultural Productivity Research Project (ASAL-APRP) led by KALRO and supported by the EU through the Kenya Rural Development Programme.

Q: Do you have any future projects?

A: The technologies developed through the project also set out to improve the uptake of improved indigenous chicken (KALRO kuku kienyeji), drought resistant grass and livestock disease control mechanisms among farmers.