August 18, 2021 – Kenya CitizenTV “Smart Farm” reporter Denis Otieno visits KALRO scientist Catherine Taracha in the field for an update on disease resistant cassava. Cassava represents an important crop especially in the western part of Kenya, where sixty percent of the tuber is grown. Farmers however face a nightmare every season as they…
August 3, 2021 – The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has received approval from the Kenyan National Biosafety Authority (NBA) for environmental release of cassava that is resistant to cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). The approval paves the way for conducting national performance trials (NPTs), the final step of testing new varieties before…
The Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has approved environmental release of genetically modified (GM) cassava event 4046, resistant to cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). The disease-resistant cassava was developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).
An East African led team of scientists has published a comprehensive comparative assessment of the principal nutrients, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and secondary metabolites in the leaves and storage roots from disease resistant (4046) cassava and its conventional parent (TME 204). These data were collected from field trials in Kenya and Uganda…
Comparative compositional analysis of cassava brown streak disease resistant 4046 cassava and its non-transgenic parental cultivar ABSTRACT Compositional analysis is an important component of an integrated comparative approach to assessing the food and feed safety of new crops developed using biotechnology. As part of the safety assessment of cassava brown streak disease resistant 4046 cassava,…
September 5, 2020 (New Vision) Prossy Nandudu writes in New Vision that Ugandan farmers are eager to access disease-resistant GMO cassava after visiting field trial sites, and urging the government to clear a path to its release. “‘With biotechnology, traits for resistance to a particular disease are taken from one crop and introduced into another…
July 9, 2020 Leopold Obi writes in Business Daily Africa about Kenya becoming the first country in East Africa to adopt genetically modified (GM) cotton, with one metric tonne of Bt cotton seeds planted on demonstration plots this year. Kenya could go on to be the first in the region to grow biotech food crops,…
By Dr. Simon Gichuki After years of meticulous research, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) is seeking approval from the National Biosafety Authority to introduce a genetically modified cassava. The cassava line 4046 protects cassava from the devastating Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD). KALRO cassava breeders have already begun working to develop new…
A national dialogue on GM crops was held in Nairobi on April 24, signalling strong public interest in policies that enable the safe use of this technology for disease resistant cassava and other crops. Led by the Principal Secretary for Agricultural Research Prof. Hamadi Boga, and moderated by one of Kenya’s most respected media editors,…
Narayanan, Narayanan, N. et al. 2019. Biofortification of field-grown cassava by engineering expression of an iron transporter and ferritin. Nature Biotechnology 37:144-151. Abstract Less than 10% of the estimated average requirement (EAR) for iron and zinc is provided by consumption of storage roots of the staple crop cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in West African human…
