New maize variety seeks to address challenges giving farmers sleepless nights

Dr Murenga Mwimali (left) of KALRO and fellow researchers in Kiboko Centre, Machakos County.

Jerry Oyoo, a farmer in Nyagowa village, Homa Bay County, returned home with a sack of maize from his farm but he was not happy.

“This is a huge waste of time, energy and money,” Oyoo laments.

“I spent Sh5,000 to till the land and Sh5,500 on weeding and I have just paid Sh1,000 to those who helped me to harvest the produce,” he says.

In his calculations, he spent Sh11,500 only to harvest three sacks of maize all valued at Sh9,000, effectively incurring a loss of Sh2,500 without considering other inputs and time spent on the farm.

Dr Sylvester Oikeh, a maize scientist, says farmers like Oyoo need not be discouraged because biotechnology offers hope. Biotechnology will address challenges brought about by effects of climate change, ever growing population leading to shrinking land for cultivation, and pests and diseases.

“Globally, for each dollar invested in biotech crop seeds, farmers gained an average $3.49 (Sh378). In 2016, farmers in developing countries received $5.06 (Sh549) for each extra dollar invested in biotech crop seeds, whereas farmers in developed countries received $2.70 (Sh293) for each extra dollar invested in biotech crop seeds,” Oikeh said.

He was addressing a virtual conference organised by the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture attended by over 100 journalists and scientists from 30 African countries.

Oikeh said his organisation, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and other partners such as the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) have been working towards getting transgenic drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties to farmers.

“We are working on a project called TELA maize which seeks to ensure farmers can mitigate effects of climate change, especially moderate drought, and losses to insects such as stem borers and fall armyworm,” said Oikeh, who is the Project Manager at AATF. 

TELA Bt maize hybrid varieties were released to smallholder farmers in South Africa in 2016 and have been granted environmental release to proceed to national performance trials in Kenya. 

Mwimali Murenga from Kalro said they have already been planted in Alupe, Kakamega and Kibos. Other sites – Embu, Mwea and Thika – will be planted from mid this month when the short rainy season starts.

National Performance Trials are carried out to evaluate maize hybrids that have potential for commercialisation. Experimental material under test are usually compared to those in the market.  


Want to get latest farming tips and videos?
Join Us


Kalro;New Maize Variety