Search for virus-resitant maize on for 3 more years

Some of the maize variety going through screening against Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) farm in Naivasha.

NAIVASHA: In the last couple of months, Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease has wreaked havoc in nearly all parts of the country apart from North Eastern.

The viral disease has rendered previously productive regions barren and farmers now have to contend with even worse news after it emerged that MLN will be here for a while longer.

Experts from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) have said it will take between two and three years before the country receives a hybrid that is tolerant to the virus.

THOROUGH SCREENING

KALRO Acting Director General Dr Eliud Kireger said thousands of maize breeds have already been tested out of which 80 per cent failed the test adding that their hope now lies in the remaining breeds currently undergoing screening.

"We are currently conducting screening at our KALRO centre in Naivasha and hope to get a resistant hybrid in 2 to 3 years," he said.

Dr Kireger said the disease was first detected in Bomet in 2011 and had a severe effect in 2012, which dipped in 2013 but escalated in 2014, affecting hundreds of farmers.

"It is hard to quantify how much the county has lost due to the disease but we know about 10 per cent of maize production has been affected," he said.

The director, who was addressing the Press at KALRO offices in Naivasha, said the disease had also affected livestock farmers who rely on maize products to feed their animals.

STILL HOPEFUL

Global Maize Programme Director Dr Prasanna Boddupalli is, however, optimistic that the country will, in the next three years, have 10-15 MLN resistant breeds based on ongoing research.

He said 17ha of KALRO land have been put under maize as part of the screening process adding that only two counties were affected when MLN was first reported but the number now stands at 15.