Person: Gichuki, S.T.
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Gichuki
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S.T.
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Gichuki, S.T.
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- Genome editing for tolerance to maize lethal necrosis(KALRO, [2021]) Beyene, Y.; Dhugga, K.; Gowda, M.; Gichuki, S.T.; Mugo, S.N.; Karanja, J.; Murithi, A.; Ogugo, V.; Olsen, M.; Pixley, K.V.; Prasanna, B.M.; Suresh, L.M.; Wen, A.; Albertsen, M.; Allen, K.; Calahan, P.; Church, L.; DeLeon, A.; Farrell, J.; Federova, M.; Fengler, K.; Gaffney, J.; Greene, T.; Gutterson, N.; Habben, J.E.; Harkins, K.; Humbert, S.; Jetty, R.; Jones, T.; Jung, M.; Bailin Li; Limberger, E.; Llaca, V.; May, G.D.; Meeley, B.; Meyer, M.; Muller, M.; Owens, M.; Pitts, A.; Pundt, D.; Sanyal, A.; Schulze, J.M.; Simcox, K.; Snopek, K.; Thatcher, S.; Wilke, A.; Wu, E.; Deping Xu; Zastrow-Hayes, G.; Jones, M.; Stewart, L.R.
Publication - Use of genome editing technology to accelerate development of resistance to maize lethal necrosis disease(CIMMYT, 2021) Karanja, J.; Dhugga, K.; Mugo, S.N.; Jung, M.; Beyene, Y.; Olsen, M.; Zhengyu Wen; Gichuki, S.T.; Pixley, K.V.
Publication - Accelerated breeding to improve resistance against maize lethal necrosis (MLN)(CIMMYT, 2020) Dhugga, K.; Mugo, S.N.; Jung, M.; Beyene, Y.; Karanja, J.; Olsen, M.; Zhengyu Wen; Gichuki, S.T.; Pixley, K.V.
Publication - Resistance of Bt-maize (MON810) against the stem borers Busseola fusca (Fuller) and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and its yield performance in Kenya(Elsevier, 2016) Tadele Tefera; Mugo, S.N.; Mwimali, M.; Bruce, A.Y.; Tende, R.; Beyene, Y.; Gichuki, S.T.; Oikeh, S.O.; Nang’ayo, F.; Okeno, J.; Njeru, E.; Pillay, K.; Meisel, B.; Prasanna, B.M.A study was conducted to assess the performance of maize hybrids with Bt event MON810 (Bt-hybrids) against the maize stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) in a biosafety greenhouse (BGH) and against the spotted stem borer Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) under confined field trials (CFT) in Kenya for three seasons during 2013e2014. The study comprised 14 non-commercialized hybrids (seven pairs of near-isogenic Bt and non-Bt hybrids) and four non-Bt commercial hybrids. Each plant was artificially infested twice with 10 first instar larvae. In CFT, plants were infested with C. partellus 14 and 24 days after planting; in BGH, plants were infested with B. fusca 21 and 31 days after planting. In CFT, the seven Bt hybrids significantly differed from their non-Bt counterparts for leaf damage, number of exit holes, percent tunnel length, and grain yield. When averaged over three seasons, Bt-hybrids gave the highest grain yield (9.7 t ha1), followed by non-Bt hybrids (6.9 t ha1) and commercial checks (6 t ha1). Bt-hybrids had the least number of exit holes and percent tunnel length in all the seasons as compared to the non-Bt hybrids and commercial checks. In BGH trials, Bt-hybrids consistently suffered less leaf damage than their non-Bt near isolines. The study demonstrated that MON810 was effective in controlling B. fusca and C. partellus. Bt-maize, therefore, has great potential to reduce the risk of maize grain losses in Africa due to stem borers, and will enable the smallholder farmers to produce high-quality grain with increased yield, reduced insecticide inputs, and improved food security.
Publication - Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA II) "Delivering products to Farmers": (2004-2008): fifth stakeholders meeting(KARI, 2005) Mugo, S.N.; Gichuki, S.T.; Poland, D.; Ouya, D.; De Groote, H.; Mulaa, M.The IRMA project is aimed at producing stem borer resistant and locally adapted maize for various Kenyan agro-ecological zones using conventional and biotechnology mediated methods, especially Bt technology. Transgenic maize containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a focal point of the project, prompting project organizers to emphasize public involvement and awareness through events such as the Stakeholders Meeting. The IRMA project was publicly launched on March 3, 2000 with the convening of the first Stakeholders Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. A stakeholder meeting is held every year leading to this fifth meeting held on 9 December 2004. The stakeholders have included: farmers' associations, women's groups, religious organizations, seed producers, regulatory agencies, NGOs, the media, consumer associations, food processors, project scientists from KARl, CIMMYT and participating and potentials donors. The specific objectives of the Stakeholders' Meeting have variously been to: 1. Introduce the IRMA project to stakeholders, 2. Create awareness on the economic importance of stem borers in Kenyan agriculture, 3. Create awareness on the control options for stem borers, 4. Solicit responses from stakeholders on the need and processes of developing insect resistant maize for Kenya 5. Inform the stakeholders on the progress as well as to review the progress, 6. Solicit feedback for the project scientists to direct their way forward 7. Visit the biosafety facilities that IRMA has developed at the KARl Biotechnology Center at NARL including the biosafety greenhouse complex and the biosafety levei II laboratory. In all these meetings, the stakeholders have expressed the need to use sound management strategies and to follow the national regulations strictly during introduction and testing of Bt genes in the country. The view shared by nearly all was that we could only evaluate Bt genes if they are in the country. Bt maize was viewed as having high chances of closing the wide and increasing food deficit in Kenya. During the more recent stakeholders meetings, participants expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project and suggested greater emphasis on training. The fifth stakeholders' meeting attracted 93 participants from 34 institutions that were categorized into eight groups. This was almost double the participation in 2003 by institutions as well as total number of participants.
Publication - Sixth Stakeholders Meeting: Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA II) Project(KARI, 2006) Mugo, S.N.; Poland, D.; Mulaa, M.; Ouya, D.; Gichuki, S.T.The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project is a joint venture between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), with financial support from the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) and the Rockefeller Foundation (RF). The project is a response to the need to feed Africa’s rapidly increasing population by reducing the damage caused by the continent’s major insect pest of maize, the stem borer. IRMA is being implemented initially in Kenya, but the results and experiences gained through the project will be made available to other African countries. The overarching goals of the project are to develop insect resistant maize varieties for the major Kenyan maize-growing environments, and to establish procedures to provide insect resistant maize to resource-poor farmers in Kenya. During the implementation of the IRMA project, relevant technologies will be transferred to KARI and continuously evaluated. For effectiveness and efficiency in its functions, the IRMA Project phase II has ten themes as listed below: 1. Bt maize event analysis, Bt source line development, and human health safety assessment. 2. Development of conventional and Bt products, and compositional analysis. 3. Environmental impact assessment. 4. Insect resistance management and contingency plans. 5. Regulatory Issues. 6. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and technology licensing. 7. Seed Production. 8. Market assessment and analysis. 9. Economic impact assessment. 10. Communication / promotion, training & Administration Research activities in the IRMA project started in August 1999, and the project was publicly launched at the first Stakeholders Meeting, held in March 2000. Review and Planning meetings and Steering Committee meetings have been held annually, and six stakeholder meetings have been held once every year during the course of the project. These meetings enable all involved to be informed of progress and to contribute to the direction the project should take. All of these meetings as well as progress are well documented in publications and a quarterly newsletter, which allows the lessons and experiences gained in Kenya to be shared with other African countries.
Publication - Testing public Bt maize events for control of stem borers in the first confined field trials in Kenya(Academic Journals, 2011) Mugo, S.N.; Mwimali, M.; Taracha, C.; Songa, J.M.; Gichuki, S.T.; Tende, R.; Karaya, H.; Bergvinson, D.J.; Pellegrineschi, A.; Hoisington, D.A.Transgenic maize (Zea mays L), developed using modified genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), controls stem borers without observable negative effects to humans, livestock or the environment, and is now sown on 134 million hectares globally. Bt maize could contribute to increasing maize production in Kenya. Nine public Bt maize events of cry1Ab and cry1Ba genes were tested in confined field trials site (CFTs) to assess the control of four major Kenyan stem borer species. Leaf damage rating, number of exit holes and tunnel length were scored in the field evaluations. Leaf area consumed and mortality rates among stem borers were scored in the leaf bioassays in a Biosafety Level II laboratory, located at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL). Field evaluations showed that Bt maize controlled Chilo partellus with mean damage scores of 1.2 against 2.7 for the non-Bt CML216 control. Laboratory bioassays showed high control for Eldana saccharina and Sesamia calamistis, with mean larval mortality of 64 and 92%, respectively. However, substantial control was not observed for Busseola fusca. These results showed that Bt maize could control three of the four major stem borers in Kenya with mortality records of 52.7% for B. fusca, 62.3% for E. saccharina and 85.8% for S. calamistis. Additional Bt genes need to be sought and tested for effective stem borer control in all maize growing ecologies in Kenya.
Publication - Control of Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus stem borers by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-δ-endotoxins from Cry1Ab gene Event MON810 in greenhouse containment trials(Academic Journals, 2011) Mugo, S.N.; Murenga, M.G.; Karaya, H.; Tende, R.; Taracha, C.; Gichuki, S.T.; Ininda, J.; M'bijjewe, K.; Chavangi, A.Previous testing of several public Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-maize events did not show control of the African stem borer (Busseola fusca Fuller), an important stem borer species, without which stewardship would be compromised by the possibility of rapid development of resistance to Bt delta-endotoxins. This study was carried out to test Bt-maize Event MON810 as an option to control all major stem borer species in Kenya. Two Bt-maize hybrids, DKC8073YG and DKC8053YG, both containing Bt Event MON810 of Cry1Ab gene were imported to carry out greenhouse containment trials. The hybrids together with the controls were grown in 10 replications upto the V6 and V8 stages. Infestations on whole plants were carried out at two stages of growth using 5 neonates of the spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus Swinhoe) and B. fusca. Bt-maize Event MON810 hybrids showed resistance to both stem borer species with low leaf damage scores and few surviving larvae recovered from the whole plant. The public Bt-maize Event 223 did not control B. fusca. Deploying Bt-maize Event MON810 may, therefore, be used to control the two species of stem borers. However, the efficacy of Bt-maize Event MON810 will, need to be evaluated under field environments.
Publication - Experiences with the biosafety regulatory system in Kenya during the introduction, testing and development of Bt maize(Academic Journals, 2011) Mugo, S.N.; Gichuki, S.T.; Mwimali, M.; Taracha, C.; Macharia, H.The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in Kenya is governed by a biotechnology policy, a biosafety law, and a biotechnology awareness strategy to enable research and development of GM crops. In addition, Kenya has the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) that regulates plant biosafety through technical institutions including the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS). Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize for stem borer pest control was imported and tested under this regulatory system. The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project aimed at developing and deploying transgenic Bt maize for stem borer control in Kenya. The IRMA project developed and implemented an internal biosafety strategy. To comply with and implement the biosafety regulations, IRMA set-up biosafety facilities to develop, maintain and test the Bt maize. These included a biosafety level 2 laboratory, a biosafety level 2 greenhouse containment and a confined field trial site, which also provided valuable models to national and international interests. IRMA also developed protocols for the use and disposal of transgenic plant materials, and also generated data for guidance on post-harvest monitoring at Bt-maize trial sites. IRMA also trained Kenyan administrators, scientists, technicians and regulators on conducting and handling GM trials. Training included informal courses, seminars, scientists? visits to established institutes, and support to research for degree related training. The project, therefore, provided major inputs in the development and advancement of biotechnology framework in Kenya. This paper reports on the achievements realized, challenges encountered by IRMA, and lessons learnt in research and development of GM crops in Kenya
Publication - Experiences in effective communication on transgenic technology in Africa - the case of the insect resistant maize for Africa (IRMA) project(Academic Journals, 2011) Wangalachi, A.; Poland, D.; Mugo, S.N.; Gichuki, S.T.; Ouya, D.; Kimani, G.; Rabar, J.The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) Project, aimed to improve food security through developing and deploying locally adapted stem borer resistant maize varieties using both conventional and biotechnology mediated methods, especially Bt technology. This technology uses a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to create transgenic maize varieties. Transgenic technologies have been a controversial and emotive topic in recent years, and the IRMA project was launched against this backdrop. To ensure widespread acceptance of the IRMA project and its Bt technology, the project carefully planned and implemented its communication and public awareness strategy. Following its public launch in March 2000, the project promoted an open communication environment and continuously engaged with stakeholders to update them on progress. The project achieved this through targeted and diverse communications products such as media articles and broadcast news pieces, newsletters, websites, videos and reports. To complement these, the project conducted annual stakeholders' meetings, and specialized training for frontline project staff and collaborators, especially extension agents. This paper reviews the IRMA Project's public awareness and communication strategy and analyzes its effectiveness.
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