Agricultural scientists across East Africa have released at least 10 conventionally bred drought tolerant maize varieties that will boost farmer’s production despite catastrophic weather conditions.
Scientists across the region told The EastAfrican that four drought tolerant maize varieties have been released in Uganda and Kenya whereas three are in the final stages for release in Tanzania.
The development of the drought tolerant maize varieties, whose research started in 2007, was carried out in collaboration with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation under the Water Efficient Maize and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) under the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Project.
Dr. Godfrey Asea, the cereals programme team leader at the Uganda’s National Crop Resources Institute, Namulonge, told The EastAfrican the Institute has released four varieties of drought resistant maize awaiting to be distributed to farmers starting July this year.
“The maize we have developed performs well in both conditions; dry and rainfalls environments and at the same time are resistant to pests and diseases,” Dr. Asea said.
Dr. Asea said the new maize varieties- UH5354, UH 5355, WE 2114, and WE 2115, are currently under multiplication by Nalweyo Seed Company and Farm Inputs Care Centre (FICA) Limited.
Dr. Asea said drought has become a serious threat to the maize production across the region due to surging effects of climate change.
Scientists from the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) under its programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security say temperatures in East Africa are likely to increase by between 1.3 degrees and 2.1 degrees Celsius by 2050.
This implies that crop productivity in the region could be severely hurt given that they are heavily dependent rain fed agriculture; and thus susceptible to vagaries of nature, resulting into low yields.
Dr. Francis Nang’ayo, the regulatory affairs manager AATF, which operates in ten African countries, told The EastAfrican that the organisation in collaboration with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute has released one variety in Kenya and more three varieties are on the pipeline for release.
“The varieties are in the final stages of evaluation before the evaluation committee and will be released to farmers soon,” Dr. Nang’ayo said.
CIMMYT has also released two drought tolerant maize varieties in Kenya and plans release four more varieties are underway.
In Tanzania, the National Variety Committee has requested the National Seed Committee approval for the newly developed three drought tolerant maize varieties for release to farmers.
The scientists are also carrying out confined field trials on transgenic drought-resistant (DT) maize in Uganda and Kenya; expected to be commercialised in 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.
Currently, Kenya leads in the production of maize in the region, with production averaging about 2.7 million tonnes per year- and slightly lower than the three million tonnes consumed per annum, compared with 2.4 million tonnes in Uganda and Tanzania’s estimated 3-4 million tonnes, according to Kilimo Trust data.
However, Uganda, due to low dependent on maize for consumption, exports most of its crop to Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. END
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