1. The Status of Agricultural
Biotechnology Research in
Kenya
Simon T. Gichuki
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
www.kari.org
Presented at the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology
(OFAB) February 23, Nairobi, Kenya

2. Tradational
Constraints to Emerging
Agricultural Challenges
Productivity • Climate Change
• Biotic factors • Environment
– Diseases conservation
– Pests • Nutritional diseases
– Weeds
• New plant diseases
• Abiotic factors
• Zoonotic diseases
– Drought
• Rift Valley Fever, Bird
– Low soil Flu, PPR
fertility Source - CIMMYT

3. Agricultural Biotechnology
Research interventions based on..
• Tissue Culture
• Molecular Markers- assisted breeding
• Use of doubled haploid technology
• Development of transgenics
• Plant and animal diseases diagnostics
• Development of livestock diseases
recombinant vaccines
Contributing to the basket of solutions

4. Concept of increased Yield Potential
(Adapted From WEMA)
Step-Changes in Maize Yield Potential
INNOVATIONS IN AG TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE VALUE CHAIN
CONTRIBUTE TO YIELD GAIN

5. WEMA- Water Efficient Maize for African Soils
GEMADOT –Genetic Engineering of Maize for Drought Tolerance
IMAS -Improved Maize for African Soils
DTMA- Drought Tolerant Maize For Africa
IRMA – Insect Resistant Maize for Africa
Research Institutions
KARI
Kenyatta University
CIMMYT
AATF
Monsanto Ltd
Pioneer Hybred

6. Biocassava Plus (BC+)
Improving Cassava for Nutrition,
Health,
and Sustainable Development
Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA)
Development of virus Disease
Resistant Cassava
Research Partners
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda
National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria
Donald Danforth Plant Science centre
International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

7. ABS -Africa Biofortified Sorghum
Nutritionally-Enhanced Sorghum for the Arid and
Semi-Arid Tropical Areas of Africa
Development of Drought Tolerant Sorghum
Research Institutions
University of Nairobi
Makerere University
KARI
A-Harvest
Pioneer Hybred
CSIR -RSA
ASARECA

8. Preparations for
Deployment
of Bt cotton
•Application for
environmental release
•Stakeholder training
stewardship of Bt cotton Participatory process
•KARI
•A commercialisation task •Monsanto
force •ISAAA
•ABSF
•Study tour to Burkina •Cotton Ginners
Faso for stakeholders •Ministry of Agriculture
•Seed Companies
8

9. Development of Livestock
Recombinant Vaccines
•Rift Valley Fever
• Lack of an appropriate biosafety testing
facility for animals involving GMOs.
•KARI collaborates with USDA and IAEA to
carry out surveillance of the disease in
Kenya.
-Vaccines for other diseases – CBPP
and Newcastle

10. Development of Livestock Disease
Diagnostics
•Several rapid diagnostic tests developed
and validated
•Slow pace of commercial deployment
• e.g A latex agglutination test for the
contagious CCPP
•CAPRITESTR

11. Laboratory and Greenhouse
Research
•Disease resistant banana – IITA at BecA
•Nematode resistant yams – IITA at BecA
•Mechanisms for trypanosome resistance - ILRI
•Insect resistant pigeon pea ICRISAT and KU
•Insect resistant sweetpotato – CIP and KU

12. Capacity Building
• On-going in all the main universities
• CEBIB- University of Nairobi Moi University
• Kenyatta University
• JKUAT
• Construction of Biosafety
Laboratories, greenhouses,
screen-houses and CFT
sites
• KARI, BecA, KU and
KEPHIS

13. Thank you for listening