Growing maize when there is drought

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Agriculture , Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif) released four new maize varieties. It was part of the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (Wema) initiative, which aims at coming up with maize that withstand stresses of drought and insect pests.

The effort was a collaboration with scientists, farmers, national research organisations and other stakeholders in five countries. These are Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa under a public-private partnership. Thus, the varieties are improved conventional white maize hybrids with the desirable qualities—drought tolerance, high yield and disease resistance.

The maize varieties—officially tagged WE 1101, WE 31013, WE 3106 and WE 3109 or known as Drought TEGO—are available for production to farmers and marketing by seed companies.

“Some of these products have been multiplied and are now available in the market with seed companies,” said Winnie Nanteza, a public relations officer at Naro, referring to a press statement that was issued alongside the official release of the varieties. She added, “These hybrid varieties are developed to help smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa address growing climate change challenges.”

With many farmers faced with unpredictable weather patterns and longer dry spells, the traits meet the needs of farmers. This is because of their ability to give higher yields within dry environments.

They also have resistance to rampant leaf diseases like maize streak virus, turcicum leaf spot and gray leaf spot. Thus, this is the strengths of the new varieties over the old ones and they are suited for planting in such conditions.

Optimal conditions
As the varieties are tolerant to conditions of drought, they have been tested to have a yield advantage of 20-30 per cent over the other commercial varieties.

They also produce 27 to 35 bags of 100 kilogrammes each per acre on average under optimal smallholder farmer conditions. That is an average yield of three tonnes in moderate drought and eight tonnes in good seasons and thus help farmers increase their productivity.

It also takes the maize an average of 120 days (three to four months) to mature, depending on the agro-ecological zone.

“They are suited for low to medium altitude areas (all the maize growing regions of Uganda except the highland areas),” noted the Naro statement.

“The new maize varieties which have white and hard grain are suitable for milling. They also have good husk covers on the cob that protects the grains from damage by birds, grain rotting by preventing water from entering into the cobs and are resistant to major diseases.”

It is expected that farmers will adopt the drought tolerant maize varieties because they can withstand the increasingly regular effects of climate change especially drought and greater disease pressure.

Against this backdrop, the new varieties would lead to increased production, improve food security, wealth creation and therefore improve farmer livelihoods.

NOTE
More than 90 per cent of smallholder farmers in Africa depend solely on rainfall to maintain their crops.
Therefore, the results demonstrate the power of advanced breeding tools to help the farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa, an area that is prone to drought and facing increased crop volatility due to climate change.

From release to the farmers

Upon the release, the new maize varieties did not go directly to the farmers but seed companies were engage to multiply the seeds and make it available as widely as possible.

It is from this stage that the prices were to be determined and the mode of distribution set. It should be noted that other than seed companies, stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies are important actors in the seed industry.

Amin Kalyowa, who has been an extension worker at Naseco for the past two years in Mubende and Mityana, said farmers received the new maize varieties. He pointed out the farmers in the sub-counties of Kiluni and Madudu in Mubende District as well as Kalangalo and Manyi in Mityana District.

“Priority is currently directed to the maize seeds. We have done demonstrations, sensitised farmers about benefits of the new varieties and agronomic practices performed before and during planting.” said Kalyowa.

Augustine Kintu, a farmer in Kalangalo Sub-county, adding that the new maize varieties could easily grow in less fertile areas. “I planted the seeds and I am looking forward to harvesting them in three or so months,” he said.

Tips on crop management
Advice from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) to the maize farmers spells out dos and donts of management of the crop.

It urges the farmers to monitor their fields regularly for stemborer damage and eggs under the leaves, control stemborer with recommended pesticides at three to five leaf stage, three to four weeks after planting or when five to 10 per cent of the plants are affected.

It cites that land preparation was an essential phase before and during planting. Therefore, the farmers are encouraged to plough back crop residues to improve soil fertility and texture.

It is recommended that farmers, plant 10 kilogrammes per acre or 25 per hectare of certified seed (one hectare = 2.5 acres), space the seeds (25cm -75cm in areas of medium altitude and 30cm-90cm in low dry lands).
Sow two seeds per 5cm-deep hole and apply basal fertiliser or organic manure at recommended rate before and during planting.

The farmers should apply the (basal) fertiliser before the seed is placed and cover the fertiliser with soil before planting the seed to avoid direct contact with the fertiliser and to thereafter, repeat the stemborer control application if signs appear at the 10 leaf stage.

Specifically for the management of Maize Leaf Nercrosis Disease (MLND), it was observed that Drought TEGO seeds are treated with systematic insecticide that helps to manage vectors of MLND and other diseases and pests during early growth stages of maize, saying “to prevent further MLN virus transmission, farmers are recommended to pull out and destroy MLN infested plants and to wear personal protection equipment when handling or applying plant protection products”.

Initial success
According to Wema project, initial plantings of WE1101 seed in Kenya resulted in substantially higher production.

Among 39 sites surveyed, there was an average harvest of 4.5 tonnes per hectare, more than double the national average of 1.8 tonnes per hectare in Kenya.

Eight seed companies in Kenya were sub-licensed to increase production of the seed to avail to farmers.

“We are seeking the best ways to obtain greater seed production, distribution and use, so WEMA is working with private seed companies to deliver at least 10,000 metric tonnes of certified seeds produced from at least 25 conventional drought tolerant hybrids within the next four years,” said Dr Sylvester Oikeh, the Wema project manager.

About 25 hybrids have been approved for commercialisation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.