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.
