Browsing by Author "Okalebo, J.R. (Moi University)"
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Item Striga control in western Kenya: Raising awareness, containing and reducing the infestation and developing strategies for eradication - (AATF Striga Management Project, First Quarter), 2005(Ministry of Agriculture, 2005) Woomer, P.L.; Otieno, H. (SCODP),; Maina, J. (SACRED Africa); Vanleuwe, B. (TSBF-CIAT); Odhiambo, G. (KARI-Kibos),; Okalebo, J.R. (Moi University); Savala, C. (FORMAT); Omare, M. (FORMAT); Woomer, P.L.; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute; The African Appropriate Technology Foundation (AATF) and; The Western Regional Alliance for Technology Evaluation (We RATE); Moi University; The Forum for Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies (FORMAT); The Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT (TSBF)Striga (Striga hermonthica) is a parasitic weed that attacks several cereal grains, particularly maize and sorghum, and other native and exotic grasses throughout Africa, and elsewhere in the tropics and warm temperate regions. In Kenya, Striga infestation is most severe in Nyanza and Western Provinces, where it occurs in 75,000 ha and results in crop losses estimated between $10 and $38 million per year. Farmers responded to Striga by hand weeding and, less often, burning affected fields but the efficacy of these practices remain questionable considering the large numbers of seed (50000) that a single, mature plant produces and returns to the soil. These seeds remain dormant in the soil for up to 15 years and simple weeding and routine field sanitation procedures appear insufficient to eradicate Striga once it has become established within a farmer's field. A novel technology involving imazapyr herbicide resistant maize was recently developed by CIMMYT and BASF and is scheduled for commercial release later in 2005, presenting an opportunity to evaluate this and other promising new Striga management technologies in farmers' fields. other promising new Striga management technologies in farmers' fields. A collaborative project involving the African Appropriate Technology Foundation (AATF) and the Western Regional Alliance for Technology Evaluation (We RATE) was designed to assess recently developed Striga management technologies in farmers' fields of western Kenya and to promote stakeholder awareness of striga and its control practices. That project, "Striga control in western Kenya: Raising awareness, containing and reducing the infestation and developing strategies for eradication" (or the AATF Striga Management Project for short) was initiated in January 2005, runs for two years and is required to develop technical reports and financial statements every six months, with this being the first of these reports. The overall objective of the project is to confine, reduce and eliminate striga infestation in Western Kenya, thereby improving maize yields, food security and wellbeing among rural poor. More specifically, the project seeks to 1) independently evaluate several different recommended Striga management technologies in smallholders' croplands of Western Kenya (year 1), 2) raise awareness concerning the threat posed by Striga infestation, and its various control options, among farmers, their grassroots associations, development organizations and policy makers (year 1), 3) test market recently-developed Striga management technologies and products within smallhold farming communities that are severely affected by Striga (year 2) and 4) develop integrated Striga confinement and eradication strategies for Western Kenya that may serve as a model for Striga management efforts elsewhere (year 2).
