Nairobi — Kenya's food security is poised for enhancement with the imminent launch of the Sh260 million East Africa Germplasm Exchange Laboratory (RTB-EAGEL), aimed at bolstering agricultural productivity and increasing farm incomes.
The laboratory, focusing on Roots, Tubers, and Banana (RTB) varieties, is a collaborative effort between the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the International Potato Center (CIP).
As per the initiative by Crops to End Hunger, a global consortium dedicated to advancing agricultural research for a brighter future, over 300 million people living below the poverty line in developing nations rely on RTBs for sustenance and livelihood.
KEPHIS Managing Director, Prof. Theophilus Mutui, revealed that the laboratory, slated for completion in December 2024, will accelerate the testing and release of new varieties across various countries.
"The lab will introduce new varieties, improve diagnostics, eliminate pathogens, enhance facilities, track samples, conduct genotyping, facilitate distribution, establish nodes, coordinate breeding, implement revenue strategy, and provide training," he said.
KEPHIS is a state corporation providing agricultural regulatory services and serves as Kenya's official National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) and National Competent Authority for Plant Health.
Situated 30 km west of Nairobi and 6 km from Zambezi junction along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, the station, spanning 10.3 acres within Kiambu County, will aid in processing new planting materials.
Mutui stated that it will reduce processing time from the current 10 to 13 years to just five years.
"With the lab, our mission of assuring plant health, quality agricultural inputs, and producing for a food-secure nation and safe trade will be guaranteed," he said.
Dr. Morag Ferguson, the project manager from IITA, stated that apart from expediting the testing and release of new varieties, the lab will significantly contribute to pest and disease management while supplying high-quality seed to the seed system.
"The new lab will be equipped with the machines and protocols and welcome technicians with the necessary skills to clean, certify, and multiply the varieties needed by farmers in East Africa and beyond, much faster than before," she said.
She underscored that the new laboratory will address challenges linked to clonal propagation, such as persistent pathogens across seasons, complicating eradication efforts, and delaying regional distribution of planting material due to infection risks and slow multiplication rates.
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Elly Otieno, a scientist at the CIP, emphasized the significance of the state-of-the-art laboratory in fostering the exchange of germplasm among researchers and breeders in East Africa.
He added that the exchange of genetic resources will play a critical role in enhancing crop improvement endeavors.
Otieno further noted that it will allow scientists to tap into a broad spectrum of traits essential for breeding programs aimed at cultivating varieties better suited to local environments, resilient against pests and diseases, and more nutritious.
"By collaborating and sharing germplasm, researchers can accelerate the development of improved crop varieties, ultimately benefiting farmers and consumers in the region," he said.
