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Kenya on a strategy to secure more market for honey
standardmedia.co.ke - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardmedia.co.ke Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Kenya on a strategy to secure more market for honey
standardmedia.co.ke - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardmedia.co.ke Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Daily Monitor
Saturday March 13 2021
Resorting to modified Bacillus thuringiensis maize might be a big turning point for Kenya s agricultural sector. PHOTO/FILE.
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The Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has concluded trials for stem borer-resistant maize varieties that will potentially double the country’s maize yield while greatly reducing production costs in pesticide application.
The Kenyan government is now looking to commercialise the genetically modified Bacillus thuringiensis maize after a 10-year trial phase ran across the country.
It hopes this sets the country on course to becoming a net maize exporter by doubling its production potential as has been the case with countries that have already adopted the technology.
FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
Striga plants in a maize farm at Rongo Migori County on 26/3/2018. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]
Kenya has become the first country in the world to commercialise a weed technology, kichawi kill, to combat the Striga weed, alo referred to as kayongo or witchweed.
The witchweed is one of the worst threats to food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
Striga is a destructive parasitic weed that can cause up to 100% yield loss. It attacks the roots of staple crops such as maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea and upland rice.
It affects about 50 million hectares of African croplands, causing $9 billion in crop loss annually. In addition, approximately 40 million farms and 300 million people across sub-Saharan Africa are affected.
THE STANDARD By
Augustine Oduor |
March 13th 2021 at 00:00:00 GMT +0300
Kenyatta University student project leader Fidel Makatia conducts a demonstration during the launch of a prototype ventilator in April last year. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
Only one private university and six public institutions of higher learning have had their Covid-19 research proposals approved by the Government for funding.
The National Research Fund (NRF) approved research proposals from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), University of Nairobi (UoN), Egerton University, Pwani University, Multimedia University and Kenyatta University (KU).
Among the private universities, only Mount Kenya University (MKU) had its proposal approved. The Institute of Primate Research and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) also had their proposals approved.
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