Scientists develop drought-resistant maize varieties

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By Sara Ooko

In Summary

• CIMMYT has released two maize varieties—with the drought tolerant gene—in Kenya. Four more will be launched in the course of the year.

Researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) have developed drought-tolerant maize varieties that will enable farmers to boost food production despite catastrophic climate change effects.

Farmers have been experiencing erratic rainfall, which interferes with the proper development of maize leading to low yields.

“Compared to others, the drought-tolerant maize varieties can withstand such disruptions in moisture content or rainfall quantities and still do well,” says Tsedeke Abate, CIMMYT’s leader of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Project (DTMA).

CIMMYT has released two maize varieties—with the drought tolerant gene—in Kenya. Four more will be launched in the course of the year.

In a separate project dubbed Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS), scientists at CIMMYT have also developed maize varieties that can use nitrogen in the soil efficiently.

“Compared to other nutrients —phosphorous and potassium —nitrogen is of the most significant in plant growth and is required in large quantities,” said Biswanath Das, IMAS project leader in Kenya.

To have sufficient nutrients for maize growth, Dr Das says that farmers should apply fertilisers. However, most of them cannot afford to do so due to the high cost of fertilisers.

“This project therefore aims at developing maize varieties that will do well under high or low amounts of fertiliser use, so that farmers can be guaranteed of good yield with whatever amount of fertiliser they can afford to buy,” he said.

Dr Das added that the varieties are also tolerant to heat and will have the ability to withstand future high temperatures caused by climate change.

Scientists predict that heavy rainfall— due to climate change—will increase the frequency of floods in Kenya.

This will likely degrade agricultural land by leaching nutrients, especially nitrogen, which is highly soluble in water.

“Having access to maize varieties that will efficiently use the small amounts of nitrogen left in the soil— and still do well—will thus cushion farmers from yield losses,” said Dr Das.

He notes that as climate changes and Kenya’s population grows, there will be less land available for production of staple food crops such as maize.

Kenya will, therefore, need to intensify her agriculture so as to get more form the limited land that will be available.

“With new maize varieties that use nitrogen and other soils nutrients efficiently, we will be able to achieve this and remain food secure,” says Dr Das.