Status of Agricultural Biotechnology R&D in Kenya

1. Status of Agricultural Biotechnology R&D in Kenya Simon T. Gichuki Head, KARI Biotechnology Centre, E-mail: STGichuki@kari.org http://www.kari.org

2. Traditional Constraints to Agricultural Productivity • Biotic factors • Diseases • Pests • Weeds Source - CIMMYT

3. Traditional Constraints to Agricultural Productivity • Abiotic factors • Drought • Low soil fertility Source - CIMMYT

4. Emerging Challenges • Climate Change • Environment degradation Source - CIMMYT

5. ....Emerging Challenges • Nutrition related human diseases - Obesity • New plant diseases and pests – Larger grain borer, Maize lethal necrosis • Zoonotic diseases • Rift Valley Fever, Bird Flu, PPR Source - CIMMYT

6. Hydroponics Organic farming Plant breeding Variety selection R&D Options in Agriculture Bio-technology Sustainable resource management Conservation tillage Integrated pest management

7. Tissue Culture for rapid multiplication of clean planting material Molecular Markers Assisted Breeding for crop and livestock improvement Genetic engineering for crop improvement Development of novel plant and animal disease diagnostic kits Development recombinant vaccines for key livestock diseases Application of Biotechnology options for Agricultural R&D in Kenya..

8. PLANT TISSUE CULTURE FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT

9. Benefits of Tissue Culture • Planting material rapid multiplication • Virus disease elimination • Uniform and early maturity • High yields • Crops improved by TC • Banana Yams Coconut • Cassava SweetpotatoAloe vera • Vanilla Potato Ginger • Oilpalm Flowers African potato • Coffee Pyrethrum Tea

10. Molecular Marker Assisted Breeding • Maize - Disease resistance • Maize Streak Virus • Grey Leaf Spot • Maize Lethal Necrosis • Insect resistance • Drought tolerance • Wheat – Disease resistance • Drought tolerance • Insect resistance • Russian wheat Aphid • Sweet potato and Cassava - Diversity Studies • Cattle, forages and tsetse flies – Characterization or fingerprinting of indigenous species 10

11. Use of biotechnology novel rapid tools for Disease Diagnosis • Advantages of novel diagnostic tests • Rapid diagnosis • Improved specificity • Improved diagnostic mobility • Reduced cost • Empowering farmers to take charge of their crop and animal health (Farm gate use) Banana – Bacteria wilt Cassava – CMD , CBSD Sweetpotato – SVD Livestock – RVF, CBPP, CCPP, NCD, NSD

12. Development of Livestock Disease Diagnostics • Several rapid diagnostic tests developed and validated • A latex agglutination test for the contagious CCPP has been registered by KARI as CAPRITEST • A production unit has been established for mass production of the kit

13. Development of GM crops in Kenya Maize Cassava SorghumCottonSweetpotato

14. Major Constraints to Maize Productivity Source - CIMMYT

15. Concept of increased Yield Potential Step-Changes in Yield Potential INNOVATIONS IN AG TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE VALUE CHAIN CONTRIBUTE TO YIELD GAIN

16. Adressing Drought – Pests Constraint - Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) • A public-private partnership • Develop and deploy royalty-free drought-tolerant and insect-pest protected white maize varieties. • Increase yield stability Expected Outputs • Under moderate drought, WEMA DT-maize expected to increase yields by 20–35% over 2008 varieties.

17. Transgenic Drought Tolerance for WEMA • A gene (cspB gene, from Bacillus subtilis) conferring drought tolerance in maize. • Bacillus subtilis is a common soil microorganism and a component of the Japanese soy food, natto. • The gene was first identified in bacteria subjected to cold stress conditions • Research has demonstrated that cspB helps plants cope with drought stress.

18. WEMA Methods of Product Development 1. Conventional breeding (2013) • Classical pedigree breeding • Use of doubled haploid technology 2. Molecular marker assisted breeding (MAB) (2014) • Marker-Assisted Recurrent Selection (MARS) • Genome wide selection • QTL Discovery Breeding • Association mapping with existing inbred lines • Bi-parental (good x susceptible) mapping population development 3. Transgenic technology (2015) • Transgenic drought tolerance • Transgenic insect resistance (Bt maize)

19. Major Maize Insect Pests 1. Field insect pests- Stem borer resistance (various species – Cp, Co, Bf, Sc, Es)2. Post harvest (storage) insect pests- Maize weevil (Sitophiluszeamais) - Larger grain borer (Prostephanus trancatus) 1. Field insect pests- Stem borers (various species – Cp, Co, Bf, Sc, Es)2. Post harvest (storage) insect pests- Maize weevil (Sitophiluszeamais) - Larger grain borer (Prostephanus trancatus) Spotted stem borer Maize weevil Larger grain borer (LGB)

20. Stem Borer Ecologies and Economies in Kenya • 13.5% Production losses per year • US$ 72-80 million

21. Major symptoms of stem borer damage • Leaf and crown damage • Reduced photosynthetic area • Stunted growth • Stem tunnels • Lodging of stems • Cob damage • Reduce yield

22. Why Bt Maize? Conventional resistance is a quantitative (polygenic) trait - difficult to handle and less efficient to transfer. Bt resistance is based on one or two genes that are easier to handle and more efficient to transfer. Using Bt technology would reduce the heavy reliance on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental and health risks. Bt technology can be readily combined with other stem borer control methods and can fit well into an IPM strategy

23. "Bt" stands for Bacillus thuringiensis • Naturally occurring soil bacterium, discovered in 1901. • Gram positive bacterium • Produces Bt insect* crystal proteins (delta endotoxins) • Stores the proteins in crystalline structures as a means of attacking insects that serve as a food source • Biodegradable and not persistent in the environment

24. Bt Technology Bt crystal proteins use in agriculture Bt Sprays - Isolated and purified Bt crystal proteins, Breakdown in sunlight, Requires several applications, Controls surface feeding insects only and not burrowed insects, Expensive and used for high value crops only Bt delta-endotoxins - Engineered into crops, genes are modified to ensure stable expression within the plant, No need for sprays, Can control burrowed insects, Cheaper and easier to handle

25. WEMA Partners CIMMYT – Germplasm, capacity building Monsanto Ltd – Trait, Capacity building NARS – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa – Efficacy trials

26. Progress in Development of Transgenic Maize • WEMA -Four field trials of drought tolerant maize have been concluded at KARI Kiboko – Promising results • Insect resistant maize (Bt) has been tested in the greenhouse and field – Excellent results • This work has now been revived under WEMA • IMAS - Baseline work on nitrogen use efficiency work going on at the lab level • Testing sites being depleted.

27. The future – Deployment of improved maize to Kenyan farmers -

28. Cassava improvement objectives • Control virus diseases • Improve nutritional value • Increase after harvest shelf life • Post harvest value addition • Reduce Cyanide levels • Increase yield – Varieties available with high yields and good culinary properties

29. Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) Virulent CMD and CBSD may cause a yield loss of up to 100% 29

30. Cassava roots are a rich source of calories, but do not provide complete nutrition.

31. Progress in Development of Transgenic Cassava • Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA) – Objective to develop resistance to Cassava virus diseases • Biocassava Plus (BC+) - Biofortification to increase levels of iron, zinc, protein available levels of vitamin A and vitamin E. • Progress • Field trials for virus resistance and vitamin A biofortification concluded at KARI Alupe - Very promising results • Additional trials have been started at KARI Mtwapa

33. Preparations for Deployment of Bt cotton • Application for environmental release • Stakeholder training on stewardship of Bt cotton • A commercialisation task force established • Study tour organised to Burkina Faso for stakeholders • Participatory process • KARI • Monsanto • Regulatory agencies • ISAAA • ABSF • Cotton Ginners • Ministry of Agriculture • Seed Companies 33

34. Development of Biofortified Sorghum Nutritionally enhanced sorghum for the Arid and Semi-Arid Tropical Areas of Africa Progress • Green house experiments concluded on biofortified sorghum – Promising results • Field trials on-going for the third season at KARI Kiboko • Backcrossing to popular local varieties

35. Development of Livestock Recombinant Vaccines • Rift Valley Fever – Slow development due to lack of an appropriate biosafety testing facility for animals involving GMOs. • KARI collaborates with USDA and IAEA to carry out surveillance of the disease in Kenya. • Development of Vaccines for other diseases in progress – CBPP and Newcastle -

36. Laboratory and Greenhouse Research • Disease resistant banana – IITA at BecA • Nematode resistant yams – IITA at BecA • Mechanisms for trypanosome resistance – ILRI • Insect resistant pigeon pea ICRISAT and KU • Insect resistant sweetpotato – CIP and KU • Disease resistant sweetpotato – KARI and DDPSC

37. Human Resource Capacity Building • On-going in several local and international universities, Research Centers and regulatory agencies: • Technical skills • Biosafety skills • Stewardship skills • Science communication skills

38. Infrastructure Capacity Building • Construction of Biosafety Laboratories, greenhouses, screen-houses and CFT sites • KARI, BecA , KU, KEPHIS, UoN, JKUAT, Moi U, Others

39. Policy Framework • Establishment of the Kenya Agricultural Research Organisation (KARO) (9-13 Institutes) • Biotechnology Research Institute • Improved coordination • Prioritisation of biotechnology research • Sustainable funding mechanisms • Strengthening of the human and infrastructure capacity building process • Improved delivery of research products • Establishment of efficient monitoring and evaluation (M & E) mechanisms

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