StopStriga and Gro-Plus Seed priming and bio-pesticides
About

Working with small-scale farmers who save their own seeds, this project aims to increase productivity in two ways:

• Using a mycoherbicide to control the parasitic weed Striga
• Encouraging seed priming through the adoption of Gro-Plus

By integrating these techniques the expectation is that significant increases in yields can be achieved. This will be supported by:

• 100 field workers from national programmes such as NGOs trained in the technologies trained and supported with information and advice
• Technologies promoted(StopStriga and Gro-Plus) through radio programs and advertising, and communication via an SMS messaging service. Additional promotional activities - demonstration plots, leaflets, posters and stands at agricultural shows.
• An SMS database of 48,000 participants.
• Support for farmers in three successive waves of plantings in Nyanza Province, Kenya, by distribution of small-scale technology packs (StopStriga and Gro-Plus) to 48,000 farmer households.

Striga is a parasitic weed that causes significant loss of yield in maize, sorghum and millet in western Kenya. For instance, more than 80,000 ha of maize are reported to be affected in Kenya alone. Striga can reduce yields by 80%.

Amongst resource poor farmers the practice of farm-saved seed for maize, sorghum and millet is widespread. But it can be of poor physical quality as a result of sub-optimal production practices and storage conditions; consequently poor germination and low crop establishment are common and contribute to low yields. Weak plants are also more susceptible to Striga attack.

To date, investors have avoided working in the Striga-infested maize producing areas of western Kenya. This is because Striga infestation is seen as such a major risk factor in development or commercially-led approaches to introduce new seed varieties or fertiliser inputs. Thus this programme will open the door for future technology-driven improvements.

The project involves a technology package designed for small-scale farmers who primarily save their own seed. The two components are the use of a mycoherbicide to control the parasitic weed and the use of seed priming with phosphorous-based nutrient additives (Gro-Plus).

Once the regulatory hurdles have been completed the small-scale growers get a StopStriga pack which includes two sachets, one containing soluble nutrients and one containing a mycoherbicide, instruction leaflets on seed priming and recommendations about good agricultural practice. In the first instance these inputs are provided free – whilst the product is evaluated by the farmers – but after this initial trial, farmers will pay for further packs. This will be the Gro-Plus product first and after successful product registration, StopStriga.

Local private sector input suppliers (agrovets) are a key component in the distribution chain and will have a critical role in supplying the StopStriga packs to farmers; they will also be able to sell other products and services on the back of this.

The technology in StopStriga consists of a simple double treatment. Initially the seed is soaked overnight (seed priming) in a weak phosphorous solution (when marketed separately this is called Gro-Plus). Soluble nutrients are pre-measured and included in the pack, which is sufficient to treat 1 kg of seed. This is a cost-effective way of delivering nutrients which are especially scarce in Africa's acidic and nutrient deficient soil. The following day the seed is treated with the mycoherbicide, which is formulated so that it sticks to the seeds.

The mycoherbicide used in StopStriga is the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f sp. Strigaw (isolate Foxy 2). This was originally isolated in Ghana, although the fungus also occurs naturally in Kenya. The research and development of the Striga mycoherbicide was led by the University of Hohenheim in Germany. One of the principles of the RIU Bet Bets programme is that initiators of the research should be involved in the Best Bet to ensure that all of the implicit knowledge and learning is retained. A material transfer agreement has been signed by the University and Real IPM on the approval of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana. The regulatory authority for Kenya - the Kenya Plant Health Inspection Service - has given permission for the importation of the mycoherbicide. Formal registration in Kenya of the mycoherbicide is now expected to be completed in late 2010 and it is planned that the product will be sold from 2011.