BASF Partners with Leading Research Institutes to Reduce Crop Loss from Striga Weed in Africa
BASF and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) announced a four-year project to reduce crop loss due to the parasitic Striga weed (Striga hermonthica and S. gesnerioides) from the maize and legume fields of Kenya and Nigeria.
- (1888PressRelease) June 07, 2011 - Striga presents a serious threat to the economic and social viability of the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, causing crop losses of up to $1,2 billion in maize and cowpeas alone. These losses are devastating in a region where four out of five people depend on agriculture for food, income and employment. By project end in 2014, organizers estimate that over 250,000 individual farmers will potentially see up to 50% higher maize yields (2.25 tons/ha) and 100% higher cowpea yields (over 1 t/ha).
Funding for the project comes from a four-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to IITA to implement and evaluate four different approaches to controlling the parasitic weed. After a two-year evaluation period, the project will scale-up the most effective approaches and work to promote these further.
BASF is making an in-kind donation of research and development resources and is also providing technology access to its StrigAway® production system to support the development and testing of one approach.
“Previous initiatives have used single bullet approaches such as hand weeding or conventional herbicides,” says Dr. Alpha Kamara, acting project manager and systems agronomist at IITA. “The current initiative uses diverse technologies in an integrated way. BASF’s technology is one potential solution because it attacks this parasitic weed where it lives and grows: underground. But success will also depend on getting the right infrastructure and training in place,” Kamara adds. One problem has been that many farmers and seed dealers in SSA either cannot access or properly store high-quality seeds coated with BASF’s herbicide. These are services that farmers in developed countries generally take for granted.
When maize seed germinates, it stimulates the Striga weed to grow and attaches itself to the crop root underground. The integrated StrigAway system prevents this attachment. It relies on a naturally-occurring herbicide tolerance in certain maize types, which allows the herbicide StrigAway to be coated on the seed. The herbicide coating then neutralizes the weed before it can cause any damage. As part of its commitment to product and environmental stewardship, BASF will also oversee regular on-site training in order to ensure proper handling and quality control.
The StrigAway system also emphasizes intercropping and crop rotation with legumes. Dr. Ousmane Boukar, principal cowpea breeder for IITA, explains, “ C owpea rotation with cereals is essential to improving soil fertility and sustainability of various cropping systems. Cowpeas contribute to reducing poverty, improving nutrition and health, and sustaining the natural resource base.”
The lessons and best practices obtained from these initiatives in Kenya and Nigeria will provide scaling out strategies for other Striga-plagued countries, including Tanzania, Malawi, and Uganda. Scott Peoples, global marketing manager, BASF Crop Protection, believes the assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation brings the necessary attention and focus to a project that has been seven years in the making. “We have been working hard to refine the technical nature of the product and project,” he says, “and development test results have shown the potential to triple yields in some of the hardest-hit areas.”
BASF, along with its partner institutions, believes that this joint commitment to supporting sustainable and economically-viable agriculture will significantly reduce Striga infestations and provide the technical and practical foundation for considerably higher yields in the years to come.
About BASF Crop Protection Division
With sales of €4.0 billion in 2010, BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Crop Protection division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro .
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com
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