Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease: a threat to food security, income and smallholder farmer livelihoods in Kenya

1. AFRICA BIOSCIENCES CHALLENGE FUND
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. February Year2016
Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN)
disease: a threat to food
security, income and
smallholder farmer livelihoods
in Kenya
The challenge
Maize is one of the most important crops in Eastern Africa.
Maize is a food security crop as well as an important commercial
enterprise in Kenya. It is also staple food crop in Tanzania and
Rwanda. About 90% of the Kenyan population depends on the
crop directly or indirectly in terms of food, labor, and income.
The national consumption per capita is 98kg in Kenya. Kenya
produces 25,000 tons against a national demand of 35,000 tons
(Ministry of Agriculture Biannual report, 2012).
The emergence of Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease,
however, has exacerbated maize yield losses. Since the first
report of MLND in Kenya (Wangai et al., 2012), the disease has
spread fast and affected up to 300,000 maize farmers in the
country. In the worst hit Rift valley of Kenya, at least 70% of the
maize crop has been affected in the last three years. The disease
affected 75,000 Ha in the Long Rain season of 2012, leading to
yield losses of between 50% - 100% and an estimated financial
loss of KShs. 2 billion (approximately $23.3 million) to small
holder farmers. MLN threatens to significantly reduce maize
production in the country. Some farmers in Rift valley and Coast
have altogether abandoned maize faming.
The research
The research study seeks to identify and determine the genetic
diversity of MLN causing viruses in South Rift, parts of North
Rift and Coast regions in Kenya. The research will also
determine the potential host plants for Maize chlorotic mottle
virus (MCMV) and synergistic potyviruses in the MLN disease
complex.
Expected outcome
Development of an MLN distribution map with specifics on viral
strains, incidence and prevalence to inform farmers, seed
growers and researchers. Information on genetic diversity
status of the viruses causing MLN will be used by breeders to
design relevant breeding programmes for MLN
resistance/tolerance. This information will also be used for
development of specific primers for MLN viruses for accurate
molecular diagnostics of infection. All possible synergistic
potyviruses and host plants will be determined to facilitate
development of effective management strategies.
Partner institutions
• Institute of Biotechnology Research (IBR), Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology (JKUAT)
• BecA-ILRI Hub
• Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
(KEPHIS)
For more information on this project,
contact Francis M Mwatuni, Officer In
charge, Plant Quarantine and
Biosecurity Station, Kephis Muguga.
(fmwatuni@kephis.org); or Dr. Francesca
Stomeo, scientist, the BecA-ILRI Hub
(f.stomeo@cgiar.org)
The Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund
(ABCF) is the main delivery mechanism for
the BecA-ILRI Hub’s capacity building program. The ABCF provides fellowships
to researchers from national agricultural research systems (NARS) in Africa to
undertake bioscience research-for-development projects using high-end facilities
and technologies at the BecA-ILRI Hub. For more information on capacity
building at the BecA-ILRI Hub, send email to w.ekaya@cgiar.org or
v.aloo@cgiar.org
Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International
Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub
PO Box 30709 Nairobi 00100 Kenya
Tel:+254 0 422 3805
BecA-Hub@cgiar.org | http://hub.africabiosciences.org