Kalro has developed a herbicide to kill the invasive striga weed that has been for decades blamed for poor maize and sorghum harvests across the country. Striga weed is amongst the worst threats to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. After 12 years of research, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation on Friday announced the development of the bio-herbicide that kills the weed. In Western region alone where the weed is common, striga has infested over 217,000 hectares of land, Kireger said. Kalro scientists led by plant pathologist Henry Nzioki utilised an innovative bio-control technique to isolate a fungal pathogen from the weed.

Source: The Star March 13, 2021 09:00 UTC