Annual Report 2012 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

AATF Annual Report 2012
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By controlling Striga weed infestation, the Project hopes to increase
maize grain yields as a contribution to food security among rural farm
households. To accomplish this, the Project is facilitating access to and
delivery of IR maize technology, which is also referred to by its trade
name, StrigAway® maize.
The technology comprises use of herbicide-resistant maize seed
and innovative seed coating with
Imazapyr herbicide. Imazapyrcoated
maize seed imbibe
the Imazapyr herbicide upon
germination. When the Striga
seedling attaches to the maize
roots, it takes in water, nutrients
and the herbicide, which is fatal
to the parasitic weed and not the
crop.
The Project has been active
in Tanzania since 2008 and has
made progress under Tanseed
International, the lead partner for
the Project in the country. Tanseed
40 million
hectares of land infested with Striga
in Sub-Saharan Africa
20 years
amount of time Striga seeds remain
dormant and viable in the soil
20–80 percent
proportion range of yield losses on
maize caused by Striga
Isaka Mashauri, the Managing Director of Tanseed International, Tanzania, explains how to identify
the Striga weed and how it works to destroy a maize plant during a farmers’ field day in Muheza,
Tanga in August 2012
Deploying agricultural technologies for farmers