Pests

: 12 August 2021; Hits: 2099

Farmers warn EU pesticide policy will cripple Kenyan agriculture

pesticides

By George Munene

Farmer lobby groups led by the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya, the National Potato Council of Kenya, and the Cereal Growers Association have warned that a report forwarded by The National Assembly’s Health Committee that recommends the Pest Control Products Board ensures products banned in Europe and the United States are not in use in Kenya will savage agricultural production in the country.

"There will be a near-immediate maize crisis, closure of the country’s coffee estates, a cut in tomato production by 80 per cent, and a crippling in production of potatoes, wheat, rice, onions, and most other crops," warned Ojepat Okisegere, CEO of the Fresh Produce.

The petition was filed last year by Uasin Gishu woman representative Gladys Shollei on behalf of Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya, Kenya Organic Agriculture Network, Resources Oriented Initiative Kenya, and Route to Food Initiative.

The lobby groups had argued that the volume of imported herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides had doubled in the past four years from 6,400 tonnes in 2015 to 15,600 tonnes in 2018, posing a risk to health and the environment.

The petitioners singled out 24 products in the Kenyan market that are carcinogenic, 24 that can cause damage to genetic changes, 35 that can interfere with the hormonal system, 140 that can affect the nervous system, and 262 products that show effects on reproduction toxicity. The products had also been banned in Europe, United Kingdom, and the USA.

The consortium that represents farmers has opposed the report and wants the national parliament to assess the impact of pesticides banned in the EU and US on Kenya’s agricultural production before extending the same in Kenya.

The group cautioned that the pesticide ban could be catastrophic and did not incorporate the input of the agricultural committee or any agricultural policymakers.

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: 22 June 2021; Hits: 1795

New freely available Fall Armyworm control measures reduce pest by 50%

Fall Armyworm

By George Munene

The Fall Armyworm (FAW) is amongst the most devastating pests to Africa’s food systems. In response to this, agriculture nonprofit Land O’Lakes 37 and Villa Crop Protection have prepared freely accessible training modules outlining the appropriate responses smallholder farmers should take to combat this pest.

Research amongst Zimbabwean farm-holders showed that those who failed to implement these control strategies had a 50% lower per capita household income than their counterparts that implemented them.

According to data from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), in the absence of any control methods, the Fall Armyworm (FAW), causes maize yield losses of 21–53 per cent in just of 12 of Africa’s maize producing countries annually. This amounts to 8.3 to 20.6 million tonnes; Sh267-Sh666 billion in potential losses.

Smallholder maize growing households blighted by the pests are at a 12 per cent higher risk of experiencing hunger.

The learning modules are meant to equip extension service providers who then disseminate the acquired knowledge and skill on crop protection to smallholder farmers. The information is however open-source; freely accessible to anyone.

Amongst the key areas the seven module course covers include: Fall Armyworm identification; Chemical and non-chemical controls of FAW, as well as responsible chemical use when combatting FAW.

The materials for each module is freely available for use and download upon registration here: https://agritraining.co.za/login

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: 04 May 2021; Hits: 2182

Livestock researchers use gene editing to eradicate sleeping sickness

Bunj cattle possible trypanosome infection

By George Munene

Livestock researchers at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi are using gene editing to identify genes that could help curb the spread of the as yet vaccine-less African animal trypanosomiasis, a pest that spreads sleeping sickness in animals and humans. The scientists are also looking at introducing desirable traits such as heat tolerance and disease resistance into African cattle and chickens.

“Eradicating African animal trypanosomiasis is extremely important as we estimate that Africa loses 1 billion dollars annually due to human and livestock diseases,” explains Prof. Steve Kemp, program leader in livestock genetics at ILRI.

Trypanosomiasis leads to farmer losses by causing anemia and lower reproduction rates in animals. If untreated, the disease can be fatal.

Through the Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA), ILRI has had its application to use gene editing to confer resistance to African trypanosomiasis in an indigenous goat approved after conducting necessary risk assessment measures.

With most of Africa’s livestock keepers having small scattered herds across arid and semi-arid areas where artificial insemination services are limited, it makes reaching them even if the research is successful will be difficult

To combat this, ILRI is employing genome editing to research technologies that will help disburse improved genetics, such as using surrogate sires to support genetic improvement for smallholder livestock keepers.

For poultry farmers, scientists are using other advanced biotechnology applications to help smallholders in Kenya and Tanzania. This is through the rolling out of an improved transfer of genetics that focuses on indigenous varieties of chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons that are highly adaptive to low diets and tolerant of diseases.

“It would be a tragedy if they were lost. Therefore, as we improve the smallholder production system, we back up the existing diversity. This is done through the biobanking technique that cultures chicken primordial germ cells, ’Kemp explained.

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