Improving agricultural productivity, food security, safety and incomes by controlling aflatoxin, Fall army worm and Napier Stunt disease
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The Biovision Foundation-funded project focuses research on the new challenges, mainly Fall army worm, aflatoxin infestation and Napier stunt disease, and empowers farmers to access knowledge and skills to contribute to further improvements in farm productivity, food security, safety and incomes in eastern Africa. At the centre of these solutions is the Push-pull technology (www.push-pull.net), a novel cropping system developed by icipe for integrated soil, pest and weed management in cereal-based farming systems in Africa.
Push-pull is a system of biological intensification employing functional biodiversity as a way attracting insect pests (stemborers ad Fall armyworms) with trap plants, Napier/Brachiaria grass (pull), whilst driving the pests away from the main crop, maize, using a repellent intercrop, Desmodium (push). Chemicals released by the Desmodium roots effectively control parasitic Striga weeds, and controls aflatoxin by reducing stemborer infestation and cereal crop ear rot.
Napier stunt disease (NSD) has severely impacted fodder production and limited smallholder dairy production. icipe has not only discovered the vector responsible for transmitting NSD but has also developed rapid diagnostic tools for early detection of NSD and has thus identified stunt-resistant Napier cultivars.
The project is implementing an integrated management approach to solving these constraints.
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