Gro-Plus productivity trials extends to a further 2,500 farmers in western Kenya
10 September 2010

As rains sweep western Kenya, farmers are preparing to plant to take advantage of the short rains. In anticipation The Real IPM Company has been distributing packs of their new Gro-Plus product - small bags of fertiliser which is dissolved in water and used to soak seeds before sowing (seed priming).


Promotion and distribution of Gro-Plus has been facilitated by an SMS alert system which sends information directly to registered farmers. Records have been kept of which farmers received the packs so that an impact assessment of this technology can be undertaken.

Collins Wanyama, Real IPM's field manager in western Kenya reports:

"In our planting in the long rains earlier this year selected farmers saw a real advantage in seed priming in combination with phosphate fertiliser. We now have the opportunity to expand this and are distributing over 2,500 priming packs, which we are calling Gro-Plus, to farmers in Siaya District in Nyanza Province. Word seems to have spread about the benefits and there have been large groups of farmers waiting to collect the priming packs."

Real IPM is promoting Gro-Plus to establish seed priming as important part of its strategy to promote its forthcoming StopStriga product. StopStriga consists of a two-stage treatment: first, seed priming to boost the seeds, then application of a seed coating bio-pesticide to combat the parasitic weed Striga . StopStriga is currently proceeding through the stringent registration requirements of the Pest Control Product Board of Kenya.

The development of the seed priming technology was part of the research and technology legacy from the DFID-funded RNRRS. The development of StopStriga is being funded in part from a grant from RIU's Best Bets initiative.