PlantVillage Partners with KEPHIS to Empower Cassava Farmers in Kwale and Kilifi Counties with 3G Technology
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Recently, PlantVillage, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), and Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) collaborated in training two farmer groups in Msambweni and Kilifi North sub-counties on ways of propagating cassava seed, including tissue culture, minisetts, and pencil cuttings, with the aim of increasing clean cassava seed.
The training involved building a shade net in Kwale and Kilifi for the 10-member group in each county to grow propagated seeds to be provided by KEPHIS.
"We are implementing 3G technology to curb the shortage of cassava seed in Kenya by eliminating viruses," said Mr. Stephen Khisa, a KEPHIS technologist.
Mr. Khisa emphasized the importance of training farmers on the technology so that they can implement it on their farms for higher yields.
He said that the technology involves screening cassava planting materials to determine whether they are infected or disease-free.
"Once we screen the seedlings using the PCR test, the disease-free cuttings are propagated in a greenhouse, while the infected ones undergo a cleaning process to eliminate the viruses and are later propagated," he said.
When tissue culture is used, it takes six months to multiply the propagated seed, while pencil cuttings take seven days to multiply.
"We will provide clean propagated seeds to the farmers to multiply in the shade nets to enable them to adapt the technology for the seed system," Mr. Khisa stated, further noting that the shade net can hold up to 20,000 plantlets.
Mercilyn Tsuma, PlantVillage Kilifi County lead, said that the technology will greatly benefit farmers who experience a shortage of cassava seed to grow and multiply clean and healthy cassava.
"It is my hope that we will all put into practice the technology we have learned from this training and observe the precautionary measures of handling the clean propagated seedlings in the shade net once provided," she told farmers.
Elinah Sultani, a lead farmer in the Ukulima Bora Self-Help Group in Matsangoni, Kilifi North Sub-county, stated that through implementing the technology, she will be able to have a sufficient supply of clean cassava seed, which will encourage them to be seed entrepreneurs and provide food for their families.
Earlier in June, a team from PlantVillage visited the KEPHIS Agricultural Training Centre in Nakuru to learn how the 3G technology is implemented in cassava and build capacity to aid in providing extension services to farmers.