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Annual Report 2012 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

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Water Efficient Maize for Africa Project 39<br />

Joel Muema Nyamai<br />

I am the Confined Field Trial (CFT) site manager for the Water Efficient Maize for Africa<br />

(WEMA) Project in Kiboko, Kenya. The site is under the Kenya <strong>Agricultural</strong> Research Institute<br />

(KARI), one of the project partners.<br />

I participated in a ‘Stem borer insect mass rearing training’ at the KARI Katumani Insectary<br />

in March <strong>2012</strong>. The training’s aim was to train the CFT managers and stem borers’ insectary<br />

technicians from the five project countries on how to conduct the Bt insect protection CFTs that<br />

will be conducted from 2013. This follows the Project’s decision to add insect protection into the<br />

WEMA drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties. Insect pressure – especially maize stem borers are<br />

a major threat to the anticipated benefits of the DT maize varieties that the Project is developing.<br />

The training was organised by AATF, KARI and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement<br />

Centre (CIMMYT). It was facilitated by entomologists from CIMMYT and KARI.<br />

The training was very useful as my exposure to any aspect of stem borers prior to the training was<br />

very limited. I learnt how to rear stem borers, how to infest the maize with them during field trials<br />

and data recording. I also got to understand how the different but inter-related units of the stem<br />

borer mass rearing function. Prior to the workshop, I was unaware of the challenges faced in stem<br />

borer mass rearing. I appreciated the great care that needs to be accorded to the neonates once<br />

they are delivered to the field. In addition, I appreciated the seriousness of stem borer infestation<br />

on maize production in Kenya. This will influence the commitment with which I will manage the<br />

CFTs come 2013 as I want to make a contribution in providing maize farmers with varieties that<br />

can help them control stem borer infestation on their farms which will enhance food security for<br />

them and their families.<br />

The training was both theoretical and practical. The practical sessions involved diet preparation<br />

such as weighing of ingredients and how to mix them proportionately. The other aspect was<br />

infestation using sterilised plastic rods and larvae placement jars, larvae/pupae management<br />

including checking the larvae against contaminants like fungi, insects or mites; harvesting the<br />

pupae, oviposition of moths, egg collection and packaging the stem borers for field infestation.<br />

I believe the training received will come in handy during the evaluation of the various<br />

maize genotypes with the Bt trait for resistance against stem borers as from 2013.<br />

Deploying agricultural technologies for farmers

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