Disseminate the newly released high yielding and drought tolerant green gram varieties
Green gram is a drought tolerant crop and a central income generating agro-enterprise in semi-arid Kenya ranking second after indigenous chicken. On-farm yield is <1 t//ha. Low production is attributed to absence of improved varieties. Insufficient farmers’ knowledge of crop management options is also a major limitation. High post-harvest losses of up to 70 -100% arising from poor storage facilities makes farmers lose their crops’ full value thus forcing them to sell the grain at a very low price. Use of non-chemical control means of pest control if explored will minimize environmental hazards and cost of pesticides. Lack of farmers’ access to markets discourages them from engaging in green gram production. KALRO through Participatory Variety Selection approach with farmers has developed and released three early maturing (70-75 days), large seeded with >20% yield advantage over the local varieties. However, farmer engagement was only conducted in few traditional green gram growing zones, thus need for large scale dissemination. With CS APP, efforts will be made to move the new varieties to other traditional and emerging production areas. Efforts will also be made to create linkages with green gram traders and exporters. The following sub-activities are envisaged:
- Production of dissemination materials
- Quality seed production for the green gram released varieties
- Capacity building on green gram production, management, postharvest management and collective marketing
- Organize green gram growers into farmer Common Interest Groups (CIGs)
- Establish and operationalise innovation platforms in the value chain
- Enhance value addition in the product value chain
- Promote farmer to farmer learning exchange tours
- Linkage of farmers to markets
- Dissemination of technologies through on-farm trials, demonstrations and field days
- Promote Job creation in the value chain
Brochures
- New improved market-preferred green gram varieties
- New early maturing large-seeded green gram variety KAT 00308 for semi-arid Kenya
- Early maturing, large seeded green gram variety KAT 00309 For improved food security and income
- New early maturing, large- seeded green gram variety KAT 00301 for semi-arid Kenya
Manuals
- Green Gram Manuals.
Video Clips
- Green Gram Video Clips.
Varieties
Green Gram (Vgna radiate)
|
Variety Name |
Release Name |
Owner(s) Licensee |
Maintainer and Source |
Areas for Optimal Production |
Maturity Duration |
Yield (T/Ha) |
Special Attributes |
|
KAT 00301 |
Ndengu Tosha |
KALRO |
KALRO Katumani |
500-1600 MASL |
60-70 days |
1.9-2.3 |
Non Stony Grain |
|
KAT 00309 |
Ndengu Karembo |
KALRO |
KALRO Katumani |
500-1600 MASL |
65-75 days |
1.8-2.1 |
Non Stony Grain |
|
KAT 00308 |
Ndengu Biashara |
KALRO |
KALRO Katumani |
500-1600 MASL |
60-75 days |
1.8-2.3 |
Non Stony Grain |
Specific features & desciption
Specific features/description
| Variety - Ndengu Tosha (KAT 00301) | Variety - Biashara (KAT 00308): |
|
(a) Early maturity (60-70 days) compared to the local germplasm that mature in 90 days. This enables them to escape terminal drought that is common in Kenyan ASALs. (b) Grain has shiny green colour and highly preferred by the market (c) Potential yield range 1800 - 2300 kg/ha (d) Large pod size making their harvesting easier (e) Large grain size (6-7 g/100 seeds) (f) Non-stony seeds. |
(a) Early maturity (65-75 days) compared to the local germplasm that mature in 90 days. This enables them to escape terminal drought that is common in Kenyan ASALs. (b) Potential yield range 1800 – 2100 kg/ha (c) Large pod size making their harvesting easier (d) Large grain size (8-10 g/100 seeds) (e) Grain is shiny green in colour which is highly preferred by the market (f) Non-stony seeds. |
| Variety - Karembo (KAT 00309) |
|
| (a) Early maturity (65-75 days) compared to the local germplasm that mature in 90 days. This enables them to escape terminal drought that is common in Kenyan ASALs.
(b) Potential yield range from 1800 – 2100 kg/ha (c) Large pod size making their harvesting easier (d) Large grain size (8-10g/100 seeds) (e) Grain has shiny green in colour (f) Non-stony seeds. |
|
Geographical coverage
The new varieties performs well in warm dry areas of Kenyan ASALs. The production is largely in marginal environments among farmers whose cropping systems are diverse, ranging from monoculture to intercropping. Because of their early maturity they have proven more successful in the drier areas of Makueni, Kitui, lower Machakos, Tharaka and lower parts of Meru counties.
Research Area
Development of disease tolerant green gram varieties for improved food security, nutrition and livelihood in marginal areas of Kenya
Green gram is a drought tolerant crop and a central income generating agro-enterprise in semi-arid Kenya ranking second after indigenous chicken. On-farm yield is <1 t//ha. Low production is attributed to biotic (anthracnose, angular leaf spot, mung bean yellow mosaic virus, bacterial blight) and abiotic factors. Insufficient farmers’ knowledge of crop management options is also a major limitation. Under ASAL APRP support, KALRO recently developed and released three varieties that are early maturing, large seeded with >20% yield advantage over the local varieties. However, these varieties have shown susceptibility to major green gram diseases. There is therefore need to extend genetic gains to value addition of disease tolerance in the newly released varieties. The following sub-activities are proposed;
- Identify disease tolerant donor parent for use in green gram breeding programme
- Develop high yielding, market acceptable disease tolerant varieties
- Develop and validate agronomic packages for field management of green grams