Visit of partners, farmers and key stakeholders to MLN screening facility, Naivasha, Kenya
a). County extension officers and lead farmers visit the regional MLN screening unit at Naivasha: Fourty county extension officers and lead farmers from Uasin Gishu county and Tana River county and 5 KALRO facilitators visited the MLN screening unit at Naivasha on 27th October 2021. They were taken round by Mr. Wilson Njenga and Mr. James Matunde of KALRO-CIMMYT, MLN Screening facility. They reckoned that they had seen MLN in the maize fields, but they were not aware that a lot of work was being done to manage the disease. They hailed the selfless efforts CIMMYT was putting to help the farmers. After seeing the two viruses, Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus and Sugarcane Mosaic Virus and the MLN affected plants after artificial inoculation in the field they highly appreciated the work. They were impressed by the good partnerships between CIMMYT, KALRO, other NARS and seed companies and they noted that it is just through the joint efforts that such problems could be solved. They were impressed by the phytosanitary guidelines for the facility and the COVID 19 prevention practices.
Mr. Wilson Mwaura explaining the visitors regarding the quarantine norms of the MLN screening facility.
Group pictures of lead farmers and extension farmers from Uasin Gishu county and Tana River county and 5 members from KALRO.
b). Dr. Dragan Milic, EiB, CGIAR have visited to KALRO-CIMMYT, MLN Screening facility.
During this period, Dr. Dragan Milic, EiB, CGIAR have visited to KALRO-CIMMYT, MLN Screening facility on 29th October, 2021. The overall impression from Dr. Dragan Milic is that MLN Facility present sophisticated and advanced part of CIMMYT global maize breeding program network. It is of the greatest importance to have in a full capacity this facility because it is critical to follow rigorous procedures in Africa. The MLN Facility is very well established and maintained. It is characterized with usage of highly sophisticated technology combined with practical and applicable solutions (drip irrigation and fertilization approach, net housing, safety procedures). All this makes this Station very effective and important part of improved CIMMYT maize breeding network, which contributing to the sustainable maize production with improved and balanced yield/quality trade off across ESA.
Dr. Suresh,L.M. Maize Pathologist with Dr. Dragan Milic at MLN Screening facility
c)Team from Bayer Company visitig MLN screening trials at MLN screening facility at Naiavsha.
Team from Bayer company Research and Development visiting MLN screening trials in the facility.
The Bayer crop science team visited the MLN screening facility on 30th September 2021. They appreciated the good efforts put in place by CIMMYT to help partners manage MLN disease in the region. They were impressed by the high quality standards of phytosanitary guidelines adhered to at the facility. The team was able to participate in MLN phenotyping exercise and was impressed by the good quality disease trials in the field and data recorded.
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