Four Seasons of Learning and Engaging Smallholder Farmers - icrisat

Table 6-9: Correlation coefficients between seed yield and physiological parameters measured on entries in a
drought screening in Katumani, Kenya. January, 2008.
Plant attributes
Correlation coefficient
Shoot biomass (g plant -1 ) 0.31
Pod partitioning index (%) 0.87
Pod harvest index (%) 0.58
The same nursery of 1700 entries was planted in Kandiyani Research Station of DARS, Malawi, under
the SABRN network but suffered severe attack by bean stem maggot (BSM; Ophiomyia sp.). Attack of
BSM was a natural result of late planting that was practiced to simulate terminal drought stress, and
this delayed progress in SABRN. Fortunately, materials that had been selected under a parallel project
on drought were advanced, and these were employed in PVS trials while the TL II nursery caught up.
PVS trials and lines in the pipeline
KARI-Kenya
The fast track activities were initiated in KARI, Katumani, and were carried from there to dryland
sites throughout eastern, central and western Kenya. During the first season of 2009, five PVS were
conducted: three in Central province and two in Rift Valley province. Women and men farmers were
invited to evaluate the test genotypes at physiological maturity stages using the ribbon method. During
the exercise, 18 lines were selected. In the second season of 2009, the 18 test genotypes and six checks
(KAT B1, KAT B9, KAT X56, KAT X 69, GLP x 92, and GLP 1004) were evaluated in both on-farm and
on-station trials. Eight on-farm trials were established (Table 6-10, Figure 6-6), evaluated with farmers,
and yield was estimated. On-station trials were grown under irrigation and under managed stress at
KARI’s Kiboko station in eastern Kenya.
Check varieties GLP x 92 and KAT B1 were identified in the baseline study as the two better yielding
varieties in farmers’ hands at the outset of the project. However, in two seasons on farm, and under
managed stress at Kiboko, these were inferior to the newer KARI varieties being distributed in Objective
8. Furthermore, lines being tested yield far better than the KARI varieties, with an advantage of as much
as 80% over the best check. Table 6-11 presents yield results of the most promising and stable lines. Five
lines will be submitted for national performance trials (NPTs) in the second season of 2011.
Table 6-10: Latitude, longitude and altitude for PVS trial sites, Kenya
Province District Trial Site Latitude Longitude Altitude (masl 1 )
Rift Valley Naivasha Kiptangwanyi S 0.57 E 36.11 2054
Nakuru Wanyororo S 0.30 E 36.17 1929
Central Murang’a South Makuyu S 0.86 E 37.18 1338
Kirinyaga Mwea S 0.71 E 37.26 1160
Kirinyaga Kirinyaga S 0.64 E 37.24 1227
Eastern Mbeere North Kangeta S 0.68 E 37.51 1119
Mbeere South Kiambere S 0.74 E 37.78 948
Mwala Mwala S 1.36 E 37.45 1246
1
masl = meters above sea level
Progress of Phase 1
129