KARI/ODA crop protection project: Technical Report-III July 1993 to June 1994

Abstract

Until recently the maize programme has focused on plant breeding, and this in turn has been concentrated on the development of high yield varieties. Consideration of crop protection issues, specifically disease problems, has not been thought of as a high priority by breeders. As a result high yielding varieties have been produced, which are susceptible, to a greater or lesser extent, to a range of diseases. This deficiency is now being actively addressed by KARl's breeders, but there is a lack of quantified data on disease incidence, severity and distribution. This information is essential if the correct ranking of disease importance and significance is to be considered by breeders in their development programmes.