· web viewwheat is the second most important cereal grain crop after maize in kenya. it is grown...
TRANSCRIPT
FIVE IMPACTFUL SCIENTISTS
1. Hybrid 614DDescription of the innovationHybrid 614D was released in 1986 following the improvement of H614C over a period of ten years. It is a hybrid that is a cross between a single cross and a population, for increased yield and disease resistance. The parents were Kenya Flat white maize, white Horsetooth, Landsmith white, Salisbury white, champion white pearl and Iowa Silver Mine. The third parent was from a collection from Ecuador in South America and was made using seven cycles of RRS (Kitale 11(R11) C7 tester). Lead researcher
Dr. Joseph Abuje Wambo Ochieng (Posthumous)
Dr Ochieng’ was Abuje, son of Wambo who hailed from Kakan-Kato community, Siaya. He was a simple, passionate, focused and determined man who understood statistics of agricultural sciences, and rose to become a consequential maize breeder with significant contribution to food security. He studied for his MSc degree at the University of Missouri. It is important to note that before 1975, maize hybrids were predominantly foreign, brought into Kenya by seed companies, but he and a handful of scientists begun breeding maize in KARI-Kitale. It has been said of him, that where others owned houses, he planted posterity in the lives of many young breeders, many of them old men today, and who have gone on to start companies, or released varieties in wheat, potato, rice, sweetpotato, cassava, grams, and beans. He was honoured on 12th December 2016 by President Kenyatta with the award of order of Grand Warrior (OGW).
Other researchers/innovators involvedD. Muthoka, F. Ndambuki, J. Chumo, D. Ligeyo, A. Laboso
Counties of applicationThe variety is currently licenced to Kenya seed company and can be grown in most highland ecologies including Trans Nzoia, upper parts of Bungoma, Mt. Elgon slopes, upper parts of Keiyo, Lugari, Upper parts of West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, Nakuru, Upper parts of Nyeri, Kakamega, Laikipia, lower Nyandarua.
1
Describe the impacts of the innovationThe variety (H614D) matures in 150 to 170 days. It yields 30- 40 bags per acre and has white semi-flint grains. The variety is preferred by small-scale farmers, because it is adapted to low performing environments, performs better with low inputs including during erratic rainfall than most newly bred hybrids. Contacts: Grace (Dr. Ochieng’s daughter): 0724303428
David Onyango (Dr. Ochieng’s Nephew): 0722262208
2. East Coast FeverDescription of the innovationScientists tested and improved the infection and treatment method (ITM) of immunization against ECF using different formulations of oxytetracyclines both in the laboratory and field. These efforts resulted in the recognition of ITM as the vaccination method of choice for the control of ECF in East, Central and Southern Africa.
Lead researcher
Dr Jamleck Mutugi
After qualifying as a veterinary surgeon from University of Nairobi joined the Ministry of Agriculture as District Veterinary Officer in charge of animal disease control in Muranga and Machakos counties (1975-1978). Then transferred to the National Veterinary Research Centre (NVRC) Muguga, (KARI) as veterinary research officer. While at NVRC was awarded a British Council Scholarship for post graduate studies at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK where he obtained Masters and PhD degrees. At NVRC Dr. Mutugi rose to become Chief Research Officer and Director, NVRC (1989). As head of Protozoology Division at NVRC (1985-1989) was privileged to lead a team of local & international scientists who in collaboration discovered the first curative drug against East Coast Fever (ECF) Disease and refined the Infection-and-Treatment (ITM) Method of ECF vaccination for safe field use in Kenya and the Region. As Director, NVRC was in charge of the national Animal Health Research Program and production then of Rinderpest and Contagious Pleural Pneumonia vaccines later transferred to Kenya Veterinary Vaccine
2
Production Institute (KEVEVAPI). He was instrumental in the founding of KEVEVAPI. Extensive cooperate governance experience gained as Chairman, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (2003-2009), Kenyatta University Council (2003-2010), Commissioner for Higher Education (now CUE) (2010-2013), Chairman, Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre (KAGRC) (2011- 2014). Other researchers/innovators involvedCollaborating scientists included Dr. Allan Young, Dr. Sammy Gichuhi Ndungu, Dr. Tom Dolan, Dr. Priscila Ngumi, Dr. Arthur Linyonyi, Dr. Samuel Mbogo, Dr. Nick Mchardy and Dr. D. Lampard.
Collaborating institutions (Where applicable)Collaborating institutions included International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM) Edinburgh University and the Director of Veterinary Services (DVS) Kenya.
Year of release of innovationLate 1988
BeneficiariesCattle keepers, 1.5 million cattle in Kenya and the East African region
Describe the impacts of the innovationThe Infection and Treatment Method (ITM) of ECF control was accepted by the DVS as another tool for deployment in the control of the disease in the late 1990s and is in use in ECF endemic areas throughout the country. ECF is considered a ‘private good’ and therefore the farmers bear the full cost of immunization. There has been wide adoption of the vaccine resulting to significant reduction of animal losses due to ECF, other tick-borne diseases and cost of ECF. Incidence of ECF has reduced by up to 97%.Contacts:
Tel. 0722-733-841Email: [email protected]
3. Tissue Culture BananasDescription of the innovationThis innovation on the development of tissue culture protocols for bananas was introduced to forestall the collapse of the banana industry in Kenya, due to diseases and pests. Tissue culture produces plants in mass, to address the shortage of banana planting material, which contributes to alleviating food insecurity in Kenya. The tissue culture protocols could culture 2000 clean plants from a single shoot tip. The yields from the first tissue cultured bananas in the field were amazing. They fruited huge bunches all at once, resulting in a very uniform field. In order to meet the high demand, a commercial tissue culture laboratory to produce huge number of tissue culture bananas was established. At JKUAT, we have a commercial laboratory at JKUAT (with a capacity of one million plants), acclimatization greenhouse and
3
hardening greenhouses. Today this facility is run efficiently as a business; marketing tissue culture banana to farmers.Lead researcher
Prof. Esther Murugi Kahangi
Prof. Kahangi was born on 11th April 1950. She has served as a research scientist for over 23 years including as Chairperson of Horticulture Department and Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She wrote competitive proposals that raised $600,000 from World Bank, Netherlands Program for Biotechnology and the Rockefeller Foundation. She is recognized for her outstanding innovation of biotechnology for multiplying bananas through tissue culture which has increased banana yields from less than ten per hectare to over sixty tons. She was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) for her contribution to research.
Year of release of innovation1994
Intended use of the innovationTo provide clean banana planting material and in required quantities
Beneficiaries (Specify and quantify)Kenya Farmers and all the business community in the banana value chain (traders, loaders, transporters, marketers and consumers) Women and youth have particularly benefited.
Counties of applicationAll the 47 Counties
Describe the impacts of the innovationFarmers in the banana growing regions of Kenya are transformed from subsistence banana farming to large-scale producers. Banana production and incomes surpassed that of other cash crops such as tea and coffee. For example from extension office report Kirinyaga incomes from tissue culture bananas is on average 6 billion Kenya shilling, while that from tea and coffee is about 3billion and 1.5billion, respectively. Meru could have almost double the Kirinyaga incomes. We are looking for funding to conduct an impact study on this technology in all banana-growing counties.Contacts: Tel: 0726052879
4
4. Wheat
Description of the innovation
Wheat is the second most important cereal grain crop after maize in Kenya. It is grown in areas like Narok, Kitale, Nakuru, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, some parts of Laikipia, among others, and contributes substantially to food security, poverty reduction and employment creation. Objectives of wheat breeding included the generation of high and stable yields, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, such as drought, acid soils, pre-harvest sprouting, diseases (especially stem and yellow rusts) and insect pests. The quality aspects considered were protein content, grain density and flour and baking qualities. The varieties obtained with each of these qualities are available for growth in various agro climatic zones of the country
Lead researcher
Dr. Mathias W. Oggema (Posthumous)
Dr. Oggema was instrumental in the initiation of strong capacity building for wheat research between Kenya and Canada. Many Kenyan scientists benefited from this collaboration through higher training in Canadian Universities. He was the first African Director of the National Plant Breeding Station Njoro, 1966-1989 and was instrumental in establishing collaboration with national and international agencies involved in support of the subsector. Dr. Oggema is credited in breeding and releasing 23 varieties of wheat, 3 varieties of barley, during his tenure as Head of Crop Breeding Programs / Centre Director at the then National Plant Breeding Station.
Other researchers/innovators involvedHosea Hunter Mulamula (Agronomist) (Posthumous)
Collaborating institutionsCIMMYT, CIDA
Year of release of innovationVarious years of variety release over a span of more than 20yrs
Beneficiaries
6
Wheat farmers benefitted from improved, high yielding disease resistant wheat varieties, Available widely to various wheat growing areas of Kenya. The country benefitted from reduced over reliance on imports of wheat and malting barley.
Counties of application Wheat growing Counties of Kenya
Describe the impacts of the innovation Potential yield of wheat varieties improved from 8-10 bags/acre to 30 bags of 90 kg.
Contact: Tel. 0721 202565 (Daughter of the late Dr. Ogemma)
5. Sorghum Variety Gadam
Description of the innovationSorghum variety Gadam was breed and released in Katumani to be grown in most arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It is semi-dwarf small plants that grow 100-130 cm tall with a very uniform plant population, it is early maturing variety flowering in 45-52 days - Matures in 85-95 days depending on altitude, with grey grains tending towards chalky with semi hard endosperm. The potential yield ranges from 1,700 to 4,500kg/ha or 680-1,800 kg/acre or (8-20 bags/acre), and it matures earlier than the other sorghum varieties making it an ideal variety for food deficient areas. It does well in low rainfall semi-arid areas and dry warm mid-highlands, and is tolerant to insect pests, especially the stem borer, shootfly and leaf diseases, and it has excellent malting qualities.
Lead Researcher
Dr. Lawrence M’Ragwa
Dr. M'Ragwa was born in Meru Central. Studied at the University of Nairobi graduated in 1978, obtained his MSc. from London University (Wye College) in 1982 and PhD in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Seed Technology) from Mississippi State University in 1993, and Diploma in Seed Business in Lund University in 2000. He has bred one sorghum variety,
7
three pearl millet varieties, one foxtail, one proso and one finger millet. Dr. M’Ragwa has supervised many postgraduate students and mentored many scientists.
Other researchers / innovators involvedDr. Andrew Mailu, Dr. Geoffrey Kamau, David Karanja, Mulwa Daniel, Dr. Romano Kiome,
Collaborating institutionsEast African Breweries, Ministry of Agriculture, KARSAL project, County Governments
Year of release of innovationPreleased in 1994 and regularized in 2000
Intended use of the innovationFood for human consumption, animal feed and for commercial production of Senator Lager by EABL
BeneficiariesSeed farmers who have produced over 505,686 kg basic seed of Gadam @sh60/kg = sh30.3 million. EABL paid farmers over sh4billion. Other companies licensed to produce Gadam include Dryland Seeds, Kenya Seed and Leldet.
Impact of the innovationImproved livelihood of seed growers and brewery contract small scale farmers. Senator lager is low priced and thus reduces the consumption of illicit drinks among the poor resource farmers.
Contacts Tel: 0717111022Email: [email protected]
8
6. Common Bush Beans
Description of the innovationDevelopment of novel plant breeding approaches in beans to combat micronutrient malnutrition. The developed bio-fortified bean varieties were developed in Kenya and the first in the World. In addition, the innovation included the development of new market led breeding strategy for common bean, which has been adopted by national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) in 18 countries in East, Central and Southern Africa. These bean varieties have contributed significantly to food security and poverty alleviation to resource poor families in the region. His work on bean improvement which started in 1986, resulted in the first improved early maturing bush bean varieties with multiple disease resistant (such as Miezi Mbili, Kenya Sugar bean, Kabete Super, New Rosecoco) market preferred seed characteristics and yields that significantly exceeded the current commercial varieties, and the first climbing bean varieties such as Kenya Mavuno, Kenya Safi and Kenya Tamu. These climbing beans have two to three time the yield potential of bush bean varieties grown by Kenyan farmers.
Lead researcher
Prof. P. M. Kimani
Prof. P. M. Kimani received both an M. Sc. in Agronomy and PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983. He has extensive research and teaching experience in genetics and plant breeding, agronomy, seed science and technology which he has taught to both undergraduate and graduate students in the last 29 years. Prof. Kimani has worked to develop and test new varieties and develop informal seed dissemination channels and farmer participatory research. He has developed early maturing pigeon pea in East, Central and Southern Africa which is now grown by thousands of farmers in semi-arid areas of Kenya and laid solid foundation for further improvement work. Onion improvement yielded the first locally developed high yielding, disease resistant onion cultivars, which were formally released by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1994. Prof. Kimani has been the recipient of more than 15 competitive research grants and awards Prof. Kimani has served on various administrative positions, organized and attended several workshops and conferences and collaborated with many scientists, locally and globally. He is a member of several professional societies and was the founding chairman of the Crop Science Society of Kenya. In December 2007, Prof Kimani was recognized and honoured as the best research scientist in the Faculty of Agriculture, and College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi. On 12 December 2008, Professor Kimani was decorated with national colours and awarded the Elder of Burning Spear (EBS) National Honour by His Excellency
9
