Kisumu — Farmers in Western Kenya have been told to embrace the new striga resistance sorghum seed as a solution to the striga problem.

Striga Smart Sorghum is the new technology developed by researchers to provide sustainable and effective solutions to the menace.

Prof. Steven Runo, one of the researchers based at Kenyatta University says striga has become a major threat to food security thus numerous efforts to develop new technologies.

Runo says the seed variety has been tested in areas with high infestation of the striga weed and produced good results.

He says the pilot study was carried in farms in Busia, Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties that have over the years been the epicenter of striga week.

Speaking during a media café on the deployment of Striga Smart Sorghum in Kenya, Runo says soon they will study the crop in areas where there is no heavy infestation of the weed.

He announced that the seed is high yielding and will cushion farmers from the worsening hunger and poverty in the country.

Runo says the seed has the capability of cutting off the life cycle of the weed from multiplication in the farms.

He encouraged farmers to use the wonder seed that kills striga to up their productivity in the farms.

Researchers say a single striga plant can produce more than 50,000 dust-like seeds and can remain viable in the soil for up to 20 years.