Kenyan researchers develop striga resistant sorghum variety

Parasitic weed Striga is a huge constraint to the production of sorghum and other cereal crops. The parasite attaches to host crops and siphons nutrients leading to severe growth retardation and death of infected plants.

And now scientists from Kenyatta University in Kenya have developed a sorghum variety that is resistant to striga weed, providing a major boost towards achieving food security in the arid and semi-arid areas where the crop is majorly grown.

The striga smart sorghum has been developed through modern technology of gene editing, which involves the use of naturally occurring molecular scissors to improve crops interaction with the environment for better traits such as weed resistance.

The invention has been done by Steven Runo, an Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology at Kenyatta University.

Most cultivated cereals, including maize, millet, sorghum, and rice, are parasitized by at least one Striga species, leading to enormous economic losses. The Striga genus has over thirty species distributed over 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, causing an estimated 7 billion dollars worth of crop losses every year.

Striga control technologies include intercropping with non-hosts, weeding, and chemical control.

However, these strategies are either inefficient or not adaptable to smallholder farming systems. The most efficient and cost-effective way to control Striga infestations would be to develop crops that are resistant to Striga.

Overall, integrated control strategies that exploit natural resistance are universally recommended. However, to date, only a few resistant varieties are released and adopted by farmers and often the resistance is weak or rapidly overcome by the parasite.

Over the past few years, Prof. Runo’s research team has been exploring different methods of building Striga resistance in sorghum and other cereal crops that are key staples in Africa.

The team is working with local farmers and extension officers to select – from a set of Striga-resistant varieties already tested under laboratory and field conditions, sorghum varieties with preferable traits. In this participatory variety selection process, farmers are able to grow sorghum varieties on their farms before making their selection.

This has been particularly important in the identification of farmer-preferred, locally adapted sorghum varieties with improved potential to maintain resistance in farmers’ fields.

Continental is now offering the Agro Tyre Pressure App, in cooperation with other tire manufacturers. This application combines the databases of each manufacturer like pressure, load and speed tables.

The app is now available in English, French, German and Polish for iOS and Android.

In agriculture, the variety of vehicles, applications and implements require regular and appropriate adaptation of tire pressures to ensure their service life and other key performances like traction, fuel savings and soil protection.

Usually, after identifying the axle loads and speed of use, the farmer should refer to the manufacturer’s documentation to define the right pressure.

If the farmer has multiple brands of tires on the fleet of agricultural vehicles, this gets even more complicated. The main challenge for the farmer: where to find all relevant information?

The new smartphone application provides easy and quick access to correct tire pressure data. By selecting load, speed, size and the tire brand, this new app truly supports farmers and dealers in their daily work.

ing network across the region to ensure that our customers receive the services, they need to keep their investment running.

HAT is a preferred agricultural and automotive solution provider company in Tanzania. HAT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Al Futtaim Group. It is a multi-franchise organization and represents some of the world`s leading brands. New Holland Agriculture is the agricultural equipment brand represented in Tanzania.

Leasing company Equity for Tanzania Ltd (EFTA) and New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial have announced a ground breaking partnership that is expected to bring mechanization to Tanzania’s 3.7m smallholder farmers.

The partnership also involves Hughes Agriculture Tanzania Ltd (HAT), New Holland Agriculture’s local distributor in Tanzania, and CRDB, one of Tanzania’s leading banks.

Nicomed Bohay, Managing Director of EFTA, commented: “We have done a deal of 200 new tractors with one of the respected top brands in the world for farmers and SMEs in Tanzanian agricultural sector.

This is to reaffirm EFTA’s commitment in collaboration with our business partners, CRDB Bank, Hughes Agriculture and New Holland Agriculture; to provide access to finance without collateral to farmers who wouldn’t have met eligibility criteria from mainstream financial institutions, a special segment of SME’s usually referred to as the “missing middle”, who are too big for microfinance but too small for conventional banks. The delivery of this transaction, and many more to come, confirms EFTA’s position as a leading financial leasing company in Tanzania.”

HAT and EFTA have been working in partnership for over five years, this is the first time a broader partnership, including New Holland Agriculture and CRDB, has been formed to significantly scale up tractor access by smallholder farmers.

It is expected to be the beginning of an ongoing partnership to grow mechanization in East Africa, including in Kenya, through EFTA’s sister company, EFKen Leasing Ltd (EFKen). Both EFTA and EFKen are subsidiaries of EFAfrica Group Ltd of Mauritius.

Stuart Leishman, Managing Director of HAT, commented “Mechanization is key to ensure the longterm goal of Tanzania becoming food secure, and we are proud to be able to play our part in increasing the number of emerging farmers using tractors and implements to improve their yields.

Thanks to our valued partnership with EFTA, New Holland Agriculture and the support of CRDB, we have created a solution where farmers can acquire New Holland tractors from EFTA, at affordable rates. This can be done without the various collateral hurdles that might have otherwise prevented them from accessing this equipment previously.

Hughes Agriculture will provide after sales support via their expand-

New Holland Agriculture is a brand of CNH Industrial, a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. In Tanzania, New Holland Agriculture has a strong position in agriculture sector for many years and providing a full line of equipment from tractors to harvesting.

As being the established and reputable manufacturer of agricultural equipment partner of this deal, the representative of the Company, Özkan Eren, New Holland Business Director, Middle East and Africa, stated “New Holland has built a strong presence in Tanzania and constantly providing crucial product improvement feedbacks. This plays a key role to enhance New Holland’s commitment to continue innovating and adapting to market demands.

Through this partnership, our common objective is to provide the best possible products like TT75 tractor model and services to increase the mechanisation level of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and we are also committed to train the farmers and provide technical support they need to raise the bar on their productivity and profitability together with EFTA.

It is certain that we will continue to invest in Tanzania in support of our local partners”

The commercial bank partner of this deal, CRDB Bank is an integrated financial services provider and the largest Bank in Tanzania, with an asset base of over TZS 10 trillion. It is active in corporate, retail, business, treasury, premier, and wholesale microfinance. CRDB Bank is rated B2 (Stable Outlook) by Moody’s rating agency.

Mr. Abdulmajid Nsekela, The Group CEO and Managing Director for CRDB Bank Plc, commented: “This partnership with EFTA to support the SMEs in Tanzania demonstrates our readiness to support the agriculture sector. SMEs are the engines of growth for the economy, contributing heavily to the country’s GDP and employment.

We will continue with this partnership to ensure mechanisation in agriculture brings the desired outcomes”.

Lastly, Michiel Timmerman, Chairman, EFAfrica Group, said “We are very excited by this ground-breaking deal. This is because of the impact it will deliver, by providing affordable mechanisation and access to a leading tractor brand with excellent after-sales service and parts provided by Hughes Agriculture throughout the country. But also, because it is a landmark for the Group, having achieved a size and maturity where we can work directly with OEMs in partnership with their dealers in-country, backed by leading local financial institutions. We now look forward to developing the partnership in Tanzania in 2023 and expanding it to Kenya.”

From January 2022 to date, EFTA has already financed 330 tractors, and in addition to this EFTA has directly purchased 200 units of New Holland Agriculture branded TT75 4WD tractors for leasing to smallholder farmers to support the country’s 2025 vision for mechanization, increase agricultural production, and improve food security.

EFTA currently has 1,045 active leases to SMEs and has financed over USD 69 million in equipment for SMEs and farmers who would otherwise be unable to access finance. Annual Tanzanian tractor sales are estimated at 1,800 units, meaning EFTA’s 530 tractors boost Tanzanian tractor access for farmers by 23%.

Netafim, an Orbia business and a global leader in precision agriculture solutions has opened its first manufacturing plant in Morocco to enhance the successful implementation of precision irrigation in the country and strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.

Investment in this plant illustrates the company’s long-standing commitment to helping countries in the region achieve food security and combat climate change.

Morocco is a rapidly expanding agricultural hub in North Africa with its agri-food sector driving economic and social development, contributing 21% the GDP and accounting for almost 39% of national employment.

Its prime location in the heart of EMEA and extensive transport infrastructure enable its high-value crops to be easily shipped to European markets. Morocco’s government initiatives include developing a million hectares of agricultural land while conserving water and creating 350,000 jobs for young people as part of the country’s “Green Morocco” and “Green Generation 2020-2030” plans, to support and modernize the agricultural sector.

While Morocco is a developed agricultural market, the climate poses serious challenges to farming. A devastating drought in 2022 led the United Nations to warn that water shortages will cost the region up to 14% of its GDP by 2050: the largest estimated loss to GDP due to water scarcity in the world.

Netafim’s precision irrigation technologies are ideal for use in arid conditions, maximizing yields while conserving resources. Investment in this new plant contributes to Orbia’s purpose to advance life around the world through scaling clean, smart and efficient solutions that benefit people and the planet.

“Opening this plant is both the culmination of our investment in the region and a gateway to further expansion. We are proud to support the “Green Morocco” and “Green Generation” plans championed by the government to realize the potential of Morocco’s diverse and rich natural landscape and climate. Netafim’s sustainable farming practices will help the Moroccan people and the wider region achieve prosperity and agricultural resilience,” said Gaby Miodownik, Executive Vice President and President of Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business (Netafim).

“Netafim’s factory is built right in the heart of an agricultural region to enable farmers in Morocco and across North Africa to derive enormous benefit from precision irrigation. Netafim will provide local farmers with our state-of-the-art products and services and share our agronomic and technical expertise for greater yields and long-term sustainable agriculture practices,” said Gal Yarden, Senior Vice President of Netafim’s EMEA division.

The manufacturing plant will officially open on March 2, 2023 in the Kenitra region of Morocco. The opening is expected to create 200 jobs.