Farmers seeking to reap the benefits of pest-resistant genetically modified maize can start planting a new variety by August.
Researchers on Bt maize have finalised the national performance trials and sent six varieties to the plant health inspectorate for evaluation.
The varieties promise resistance to deadly stem borer and army worm which devastate maize crop across the country.
Bt Maize principal investigator James Karanja said if the approval is granted by August, then farmers could get the seeds before the short rain season.
"Out of the six maize varieties that we submitted for evaluation at the NPT, we hope there will be one or two that will perform well and show that it is tolerant to the fall army worm and the stem borer," Karanja said.
The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation scientist spoke on Wednesday in Kalro-Kandara in Thika.
Karanja oversaw the last harvest for the Bt maize at the National Performance Trial site in Kandara.
Trials have been conducted in Kibos-Kisumu, Kakamega, Alupe in Busia, Embu and Mwea in Kirinyaga.
Karanja said this was the last stage of the research process on Bt maize before farmers get a chance to try the crop.
Biotechnology maize testing in Kenya started in 2010, but approval for the environmental release was granted by the National Biosafety Authority in 2016. NBA regulates all matters of biotechnology in the country.
Research begins in the lab, then greenhouse, thereafter to the confined field trial site or the on-station trials.
From there researchers submit findings for the National Performance Trial which is independently done by Kephis.
“This is the last journey towards commercialisation of GM maize in Kenya. After the harvest, all the data will be taken by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services where they are going to do the analyses,” he said.
Karanja said Kephis will focus on the variety's tolerance to the stem borer and army worm, which was central to the research.
He said once Kephis finalises its analyses, they will recommend the best variety for release by the National Performance Trial committee.
“The NPT committee will then submit their report to the National Performance Release Committee who will look at the data and select the best variety which must be tolerant to the steam borer as per the application,” Karanja said.
“It must also have a good yield against the others. Then the committee will submit their report to the National Variety Release Committee which is chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture. This is the committee that is going to do the approval.”
The committees are supposed to have met and discussed the research findings by June.
Farmers will then know the best variety that was selected to go for commercialisation.
The researchers will also be required to write to the NBA seeking approval for commercialisation of the Bt maize.
The current approval is limited to field cultivation to allow performance trials at various sites in the country.
“If there will be no other requirement, the maize variety that is tolerant to the deadly stem borer and army worm should be out with the farmers by August or early next year,” Karanja said.
(edited by o. owino)