Towards Development of Environmentally Safe, Insect Resistant Maize Varieties for Food Security in Kenya

Lepidopteran stem borers are major insect pests of maize, the main staple food crop in Kenya. Bt maize offers farmers an effective and practical option for controlling stem borers. The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project aims at increasing maize production and food security through the development and deployment of insect resistant maize, including conventional stem borer resistance and Bt maize. Suitable Bt genes have been acquired or synthesized and backcrossed into elite maize germplasm at CIMMYT-Mexico. ‘Clean’ Bt gene events, containing only the gene of interest and no antibiotic or herbicide resistance markers, have been developed. Bt maize leaves have been introduced from CIMMYT-Mexico into Kenya, insect bioassays conducted, and the effective Cry-proteins against the major maize stem borers in Kenya identified. Insect resistant maize varieties are being developed through conventional breeding, using locally adapted and exotic germplasm. For safe and effective deployment of Bt maize, studies on its impacts on target and nontarget arthropods, mainly through their characterization and quantification have been done. Studies on the effects of Bt maize on key nontarget arthropods are underway. Insect resistance management strategies are being developed and studies on gene flow are underway. Socioeconomic impact studies have revealed factors in the society that may influence the adoption of Bt maize in Kenya. Also, baseline data, essential for the monitoring and evaluation of the Bt maize technology in Kenya, has been established. Technology transfer and capacity building, creating awareness and communications are important activities of the IRMA project. This paper provides a general overview of the IRMA project, presents brief results from various activities, and shows how the various concerns about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are addressed by the IRMA project.