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MLN free Commercial Seed Production in

East and Central Africa

(2016 - Year 1) - Presented by:-

Sammy Okita – AGRA and Gospel Omanya – AATF

18th October 2016, ICRAF-CIMMYT Campus, Nairobi

Out-scaling MLN Management Efforts Building on Synergies

• Tapping into the seed company and grassroots networks of AGRA and AATF

• MLN is a communal challenge

– It does not select partners or fields

– Partnership is critical to ensure productivity of commercialized elite maize varieties

– Combined and aggressive efforts

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MLN Disease Control

Agronomy

MLN Resistant/ Tolerant Varieties

Prevention of Spread

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Key Milestones - 2016

Develop a checklist and SOPs for management of MLN and production of clean seed

Train seed companies in the endemic countries on MLN-free clean seed production

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Objectives

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Objective 1

Develop and disseminate a well-designed check-list based on harmonized protocols/best management practices for MLN pathogen-free seed production (in the entire seed value chain, including breeders’, foundation and certified seed), especially in MLN endemic countries

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Objective 2

• Organize formal discussions and seasonal planning meetings (both regional/national), coupled with rigorous follow-up (field visits, linked with on-field sampling and analysis), for ensuring MLN pathogen-free commercial seed production.

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Progress - 2016

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Activities towards Objective 1

Develop the check-list for management of MLN and production of clean seed (breeder seed, foundation seed and certified seed)

Checklist to comprise of best agronomic practices that minimize spread of MCMV.

Organize a 2 day in-country meeting to deliberate with breeders, seed companies and NSTAs on the technical content of the checklist

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Develop Validated Checklist and harmonized SOPs

Seed Industry Consultative meetings:-

Nairobi, Kenya – 25th May 2016

Arusha, Tanzania – 23rd June 2016

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 30th August 2016

Uganda and Rwanda – Scheduled

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MLN MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST & SOPs (KENYA )

TASK STATUS START

DATE

DUE DATE % COMPLETE DONE? NOTES

Monitor crop disease history of seed

production fields

Maintain adequate levels of soil fertility

based on soil tests

Timely planting to facilitate disease escape

Use of disease free seed stocks in subsequent

seed production

Clean farming equipment to remove

contaminated

soil debris

Eliminate grasses and other weeds from fields

and

plot borders

Monitor and control insect vector population

Scout for viral symptoms

Rogue symptomatic plants

Sample suspect plants for diagnostic testing

Post-harvest cob selection and seed testing

Seed treatment using systemic insecticides

Crop rotations with non-cereal crops 1-3

seasons depending on disease history

Closed maize season where appropriate

HARMONIZED MLN MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST & SOPs (TANZANIA)

TASK STATUS START

DATE

DUE

DATE

%

COMPLETE

DONE? NOTES

Establish field disease history for seed production

Source and production location of the seed

Seed treatment with a systemic insecticide

Cleaning farming equipment

Timely land preparation and planting

Field sanitation (eliminating weeds from fields and plot

borders)

Scouting for MLN disease symptoms

Sampling and testing suspect plant for MLN causing

viruses

Rogueing and destroying symptomatic plants

Monitoring and controlling insect vector population

Harvesting only non-symptomatic plants (healthy

plants)

Post-harvest ear selection and seed testing

HARMONIZED MLN MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST & SOPs (ETHIOPIA)

TASK STATUS START

DATE

DUE

DATE

% COMPLETE DONE? NOTES

Establish seed field history based on previous crop

& MLN disease history

Seed dressing with chemicals specific for MLN

causing vectors

Ensure healthy seed from source(breeder seed)

Cleaning planting equipment to remove

contaminated debris/soil.

Timely Planting to enable disease escape

Management of weeds in seed fields and borders

Scouting for viral symptoms in the field

Roguing and destroying infected plants

Monitoring & controlling insect vector population

by chemical spraying

MLN testing of the harvested seed samples

Seed Industry Participants in Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya 25th May 2016

Seed Industry Participants in Meeting in Arusha, Tanzania 23rd June 2016

Seed Industry Participants in Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30th August 2016

Consultative Meeting Attendance

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Location No. of Seed

Companies

No. of

Breeders

Male

(%)

Female

(%)

Total

(No.)

Kenya 15 14 76 24 42

Tanzania 12 11 86 14 29

Ethiopia 11 38 86 14 58

Total 38 68 129

23 Public and private partners

Seed Industry Feedback…1 Emerging Issues

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Destruction of the infected crop materials is not well enforced especially by

seed companies operating in communities which abhor burning of mature

maize crops as they are used as animal feeds during drought periods as is the

case in Ethiopia with Alemahyu Seed Company.

In Ethiopia and Tanzania, seed companies reported failures in the control of

MLND in fields neighbouring farmers’ fields leading to cross infections.

In most MLN endemic countries, seed out-growers awareness is low in proper

management of the MLND.

Most of the technicians working in seed companies will need training on

sampling and testing for MLND.

Budding inspectorates will need consistent capacity building to enhance

control of spread of MLND.

Seed Industry Feedback…2 Emerging Issues

• In Tanzania Crop rotation was not highlighted in the SOPs as there was a concern that this could be converted to law which would be very punitive to some seed companies.

• It was also contentious whether MLN is soil borne. Data on

whether MLN is soil borne needs to be should be shared with the Tanzanian maize stakeholders. This was also why crop rotation as a measure was not adopted.

• Seed movement: Based on the level of seed systems and

regulations in Tanzania, strict seed movement within the country has been imposed. Moreover there might be need to quarantine grain movement since some farmers use grain as seed.

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Seed Industry Feedback…3 Emerging Issues

• Farmers have associated disease incidence with “cold seasons”, which could be linked to high thrips populations observed in this season. Thus planting maize from July would be risky; a situation that was observed in Babati, Tanzania.

• The extension program needs to be actively engaged

to facilitate implementation of disease management practices particularly on-farm. For instance, use of recycled seed is a common practice which is associated with high disease incidences and spread.

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Looking Ahead - 2017

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Monitoring Usage of the SOPs by Seed companies and Plant Breeders - 2017

Implementation of the harmonized SOPs and checklist by seed companies and breeders is ongoing

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Objective 1: Monitor production and handling of breeder, foundation and certified seed by seed companies and breeders - 2017

Monitor production of all seed classes by the National programs and PASS and

AATF supported seed companies in the 5 countries (KE, UG, RW, ET, TZ).

Establish the history of seed production fields at NARIs and Seed companies.

Undertake routine follow-up visits on seed companies and breeders to ensure complete adherence of the SOPs.

Completion of the check-list by the staff on execution of given tasks and agronomic practices.

At each stage, samples of the harvested breeder, foundation and certified seed taken to the collaborating laboratory and tested before the seed goes to the next level.

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Objective 2: Promote use of clean seed on-

farm 2017 Development and distribution of print materials on ‘on-

farm MLN disease scouting and management’ to seed out-growers and farmers through extension service providers and seed companies in target countries

Participate in selected seed company organized field days to support discussion and feedback analysis

Increase farmers access to alternative crops suitable for crop rotation i.e. sweet-potato, legumes etc.

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Acknowledgements

Seed Companies Plant Breeders KEPHIS, TOSCI, EIAR, Ministry of Agriculture – KE, ET, TZ CIMMYT USAID AGRA AATF Colleagues

Asante Sana!

Thanks You!