Wheat in Kenya: Past and Twenty-First Century Breeding

Abstract

Plant breeders aim to improve crop varieties to benefit humankind. Since wheat was introduced in Kenya, numerous varieties have been released and cultivated to varying extents. Past genetic gains have been fragile due to various environmental challenges-mostly rust diseases, and unfavorable socio-economic national policy for the crop. The role and the contribution of wheat breeding to the success of the crop in Kenya for over a century is reviewed. It is considered that systematic exploitation of local and introduced genetic diversity has contributed to release of varieties with superior genetics over time, enhancing productivity from 1 ton/ha in the 1920's to approximately 3 tons/ha recently. Consistent rise in demand to about 1 million metric tons suggests that the national wheat breeding research program must be remodeled to leverage modern tools and best practices; to reconsider its target range of breeding environments in the wake of climate change; to entrench its engagement with the international wheat research programs; and to promote a culture of continuous mentorship. Here, cases are highlighted where the national program has moved in such positive directions to address the varietal needs of a crop that has fully integrated in the economy and the diets of many Kenyans.

Allelic diversity study of functional genes in East Africa bread wheat highlights opportunities for genetic improvement

“…It is not exactly clear why the Rht-B1b allele was preferentially selected instead of Rht-D1b allele given that both alleles have similar effect on plant height and grain size. It is worth noting, however, that majority of the EA wheat varieties released post-1970 are introductions from international wheat breeding programs including CIMMYT and ICARDA (Macharia and Ngina 2017). In agreement with our result, Zhao et al (2019) showed a higher percentage of the Rht-B1b allele in CIMMYT germplasm compared to the Rht-D1b allele.…”

Factors that Influence Adoption of New Improved Wheat Varieties by Farmers in Nakuru and Narok, Kenya

“…Wheat demand has been growing at an average of about 4% per annum [3] driven by an upswing population, booming incomes, and rural-urban migration [4]. changing preferences to wheat-based diets associated with urbanization has been a significant factor driving wheat demand upward [5].…”

PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress Alters Root Morphology and Root Hair Traits in Wheat Genotypes

“…Limited water availability is a major issue for wheat production around the world [ 2 ]. Approximately 45% of the wheat-growing lands in developing countries are vulnerable to drought [ 3 ]. The situation of wheat production may become more problematic since the area affected by the drought stress may increase four times by the middle of the 21st century [ 4 ].…”