Swan(sea) Song – personal research during my six years at Swansea ... and bey...
Evaluation of Kenyan finger millet accessions for Blast disease and Striga weed
1. Evaluation of Kenyan Finger millet
accessions for Blast disease and Striga
weed
Prof. Mathews M.Dida
Department of Applied Plant Sciences
School Of Agriculture & Food Security
Maseno University, Kenya
First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference
United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-ECA)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013
2. Importance of finger millet (E.coracana)
Nutritious cereal in
eastern Africa.
Rich in amino acids
and minerals.
Excellent storage
qualities.
3. Major Constraints to finger millet
production
Blast disease
Striga weed
Lodging
Drought
4. Objectives of study
To evaluate response of diverse finger millet
lines/accessions for Blast disease and Striga
hermonthica in western Kenya, and
To identify genotypes with best agronomic
traits for breeding
5. Materials and Methods
80 finger millet lines were evaluated for blast and
other agronomic characters at Maseno University
farm long rains (LR) season of 2012
80finger millet lines were evaluated for Striga
response in a Striga-sick farm in Ragengni in Siaya
in LR Season of 2012
Experimental designs were Randomized Complete
Blocks with 2 replicates of single 3 m long plots.
All experiments were done under natural disease or
weed pressure.
7. Blast experiment:Maseno Site
Data collected;
seed yield per plot, blast severity and lodging (on scales
of 1-5), plant height, days to 50 percent flowering and
threshing percentage
Striga experiment: Ragengni Site
Data collected;
seed yield per plot, plant height, days to 50 percent
flowering.
Striga weed damage ratings were visually taken on a scale
of 1 to 5 at 60 and 80 days after planting.
9. Results & Discussion Cont,
• Genotypes score ranges
• Blast Severity 1-3.7
• Days to flowering 61-84
• Lodging score 1-4.8
• Threshing % 0.38-0.83
• 75 % of lines scored 2 or less for head blast
• Lodging was prevalent and serious at Maseno.
• Some tall and semi dwarf finger millet lines
were resistant to lodging.
11. CONCLUSIONS
1. Finger millet genotypes 2. Lodging resistant were
with the best blast (a).Semi dwarf lines (90-
severity rating of 1 115 cm)
were;
• Entries 23,71,105 & 141,
Entries 45 and 47 namely; the IE 2431, IE 3534,IE
GBK033368 or IE 2412 &
2437and GBK033370 or WhiteSel6,respectively.
IE 2555
(b). Tall lines (>120 cm)
Entries 68,81,100 & 131
namely; IE 2441, IE3520,IE
2485,IE2393,respectively.
12. CONCLUSIONS CONT.
3. Entries 102 (IE2396,
146 (Gulu E) and 149
(White Sel6 x IE2035)
were resistant to Striga
weed and had severity
rating of 1.6 or 1.7
4. The lowest grain
yielders were
susceptible and had
severity ratings of 4.
These were entries nos.
16, 22, 101, 113 & 141; IE Gulu-E
2377, IE 2459, IE
2427, IE 2567 &White
Sel6, respectively.
13. Recommendations
Further Study
1. Estimates of yield losses in finger millet due Striga
weed infestation should be made under farmer’s
fields using bigger plots.
2. Mechanisms of Striga weed resistance in finger
millet should be determined.
3. The mechanisms of lodging resistance in tall finger
millet lines should be determined.
Outputs
4. The identified blast, lodging and Striga resistant
genotypes should be disseminated to farmers or be
deployed in breeding programs.
14. Acknowledgements
• Maseno University
• Job Otieno, Field Assistant
• Jonathan Achuongo and Julius Ndenda, Field Attendants
• Elly K Onde, Owner of Striga sick farm
• This research was funded by Sida through Bio-Innovate
Africa