Helicoverpa armigera Incidence in Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.) at Kiboko, Kenya

Twenty-three high-yielding finger millet genotypes were evaluated in field trials at Kiboko, Kenya, during 1994. H. armigera incidence in the different genotypes was recorded. H. armigera incidence ranged from 8% in IE46 to 37% in Nagaikuro. Twelve genotypes had <15% H. armigera-damaged panicles. The timing of flowering appeared to influence H. armigera incidence. Compact-panicle genotypes suffered greater damage than genotypes with loose fingers. As H. armigera is difficult to control chemically, it is concluded that crop improvement programmes must focus on selecting genotypes with low susceptibility to this pest

Plant defense responses to sorghum spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus under irrigated and drought conditions

An experiment was conducted during 1990 and 1991 in Kenya, to study the reaction of 27 sorghum genotypes to stem borer Chilo partellus damage under irrigated and drought conditions. Crop growth was maintained at irrigated and water-stressed (non-irrigated) conditions. Data were recorded on deadheart formation due to stem borer, leaf area damaged, number of larvae per 5 plants, peduncle damage, and recovery resistance under natural infestation. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences due to genotype, irrigation treatments and genotype x irrigation treatment interaction in plants with deadhearts, number of larvae, leaf feeding, peduncle damage and recovery resistance for genotypes, except in case of leaf area damage. Deadheart incidence was slightly lower (70.4%) in irrigated than non-irrigated plots. Leaf feeding was greater (94.7%) under irrigated than non-irrigated plots (91.5%), except in the case of genotypes (ICSV 88013, IS 8193, KAT 83368, IS 23509 and ICSV 112). Peduncle damage was lower (5.8) under irrigated than non-irrigated conditions. Plant recovery in response to stem borer damage was greater under irrigated (5.4) than non-irrigated (6.3) conditions, except for ICSH 89020, IS 23509 and ICSV-CM 865132. The number of stem borer larvae were greater (41.8 larvae per 5 plants) in irrigated than non-irrigated (27.3 larvae per 5 plants) plots. Irrigation reduced deadheart incidence, peduncle damage, and recovery resistance in sorghum due to stem borer infestation

Field screening finger millet germplasm for drought tolerance

Drought stress is the most important abiotic constraint limiting finger millet production. Limited research on tolerance to drought in finger millet has been done in Africa. As a result, the only varieties adapted to high-rainfall regions have been developed and promoted. Twenty-four potential drought-tolerant varieties selected from regional trials, and a short-duration commercial check (U15), were screened for drought in three locations in Kenya (KALRO-Kiboko, KALRO-Kampiya Mawe (KYM)) and Tanzania (DRD-Miwaleni). Genotype was significant for all the traits, location for all except yield, and GxL interaction for all except plant height. Sixteen of the varieties outperformed the commercial check (1.10 tha-1), with the best yielders being IE2187 (2.02 tha-1), IEFV0009 (1.50 tha-1), IE501 (1.1.48tha-1), IE593 (1.45 tha-1) and IE2030 (1.43 tha-1). All varieties except one had shorter DAP than the commercial variety. GGE biplot for yield showed Kiboko and Miwaleni locations to be effective in discriminating genotypes. Genotypes IE501, IE593, were specifically adapted to the Kiboko environment while IE546, KNE 741 and IE5791 were more adapted to the Miwaleni environment. Genotypes IE3104, IE5736, IE5733, IE6475 and IEFV0009 were stable across locations. Principal component analysis revealed the first four PC accounted for 85.72% of the variation with plant height, agronomic score, biomass, number of lodged plants, and number of productive tillers contributing the most. Five of the varieties -- IE2187, IEFV0009, IE501, IE593 and IE2030 -- have been advanced to PVS in Kenya and Tanzania, while KNE 741 is at NPT in Kenya

New sources of resistance to spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus in sorghum

The lepidopteran Chilo partellus Crambid, an introduced pest in East and southern Africa from Asia, is the most economically important stem borer species infesting cereals in Africa. Chilo partellus causes more than 40% yield loss in sorghum in East Africa. Cultural strategies, biological control using parasitoids, as well as pesticides are being employed, but are either ineffective or uneconomic for resource constrained farmers in cereal production. Thus host resistance remains the most economic viable strategy. Sorghum is an African crop and has thus co-evolved with several pests, inherently developing resistance to them as well as C. partellus. Moreover, C. partellus is exotic with limited sources of resistance in local sorghum. Sorghum from other ecologies with a long history of C. partellus infestation could thus provide additional and new sources of resistance. The objective of this study was to evaluate a panel of local and exotic sorghum genotypes for resistance to C. partellus. Seven genotypes from East Africa and twenty from India were evaluated at Kiboko, Kenya, for tolerance/resistance to C. partellus during long- and short-rainy seasons of 2010. Test plants were artificially infested with five stem borer neonates, and data were recorded on leaf feeding, deadhearts, stem tunneling and exit holes as well as agronomic parameters. Based on selection index generated, genotypes ICSA 472, ICSA 473, ICSV 700 and ICSA 464 were resistant owing to antibiosis and antixenosis mechanisms of resistance. These genotypes can be used in sorghum improvement to develop cultivars with high grain yield and resistance to C. partellus.

Participatory Variety Selection for enhanced promotion and adoption of improved finger millet varieties: A case for Singida and Iramba Districts in Central Tanzania

Participatory variety selection (PVS) is an approach which provides a wide choice of varieties to farmers to evaluate in their own environment using their own resources for increasing production. It enhances farmer’s access to diverse crop varieties, increases production and ensures food security and helps faster dissemination and adoption of pre and released varieties. It allows varietal selection in targeted areas at cost-effective and timely manner and helps promotion of community seed production and community seed banks. Therefore, a variety developed through PVS usually meets demand of different stakeholders. Farmers in Singida and Iramba districts in central Tanzania were found to be growing land races which were low yielding, long maturing, drought and disease susceptible, as no variety had previously been released in Tanzania. Through PVS a broader choice of varieties that matched farmer needs in adaptation and quality traits was offered for evaluation. As such PVS was used to introduce, evaluate, release and promote for adoption finger millet varieties in Central and Northern Tanzania. Farmers selected and adopted new varieties of a higher utility (a combination of improved agronomic traits, higher yield, and improved quality). Through PVS Tanzania released her first finger millet varieties (U15 and P224). Adoption of the varieties was very high as farmers associated with the varieties; and affordable high quality seed was made available as Quality Declared Seed (QDS) produced by the target farmer groups. Preferred traits differed between the gender groups; women preferred risk averting traits like short duration, drought tolerance, compact heads and disease resistance while male preferred market related traits (high yield, brown colour and big head

Prevalence and drivers of seed and pollen-mediated geneflow in sorghum: implications for biosafety regulations and policy in Kenya

This paper uses a random sample of 881 farmers drawn from eastern and western Kenya to examine the prevalence and drivers of seed and pollen mediated geneflow in the two major sorghum growing regions. It employs both qualitative and quantitative techniques to assess farmers’ awareness of wild sorghum varieties, the practices they use in maintaining varietal purity and the conditioners of their success in maintaining the purity of cultivated varieties. The study finds that, among others, cultural differences, agro-climate and poverty affect the awareness, practices used in maintaining varietal purity and farmers’ success in doing so. These findings have implication for biosafety and policy in Kenya due to the clamour to introduce genetically modified bio-fortified sorghum varieties in Africa

Finger millet blast pathogen diversity and management in East Africa: a summary of project activities and outputs

Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America, Lubbock, USA, International Sorghum and Millets Newsletter 45:66-69. This paper covers the results of studies on the genetic diversity of Magnaporthe grisea causing blast disease in finger millet (Eleusine coracana) in East Africa; pathogen aggressiveness and epidemiology; disease and socioeconomic surveys in Kenya; and finger millet varietal screening for blast resistance