LUANAR makes progress in GMO maize, BT Maize, research
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) says two studies in Bt Maize, maize type that has been improved by biotechnology to see if it can withstand insect attacks and tolerate herbicides, are going on well.
The trials, Insect Resistant and Herbicide Tolerant, are being conducted at Confined Field Trials (CFT) at Bunda College Campus of the school.
Speaking during a CFT visit by officials from National Planning Commission (NPC), ministry of agriculture and other stakeholders, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at LUANAR, Dr. Abel Sefasi said there is a good progress in their studies as the improved versions of the maize are doing well as compared to the ones that have not been improved.
“We have seen here that the variety of the maize we put the gene to survive under insect attack is clean. You will see that few leaves have been attacked by the insects but in general the maize is clean,” he said.
“The other type of maize which we didn’t put the insect resistant is showing that it has been eaten by the fall armyworms,” added Dr. Sefasi who added that so is the case in the Herbicide Tolerant Trial.
The aim of the two trials is to improve country’s food security and agricultural sustainability in the country.
In his remarks, Head of research at National Planning Commission-NPC, Andrew Jamali said interventions by LUANAR are good for the nation as they are in line with MW2063 especially on pillar one of national research agenda which is agricultural productivity..
“It is very important to have this kind of study taking place because Malawi’s farms are infested with pests, worms and diseases and they are impacting much on our production. So, we need to deal with them in the farms,” he explained.
Jamali further adds dealing with these issues will help the country to achieve its commercialization goals.
Meanwhile, ministry of health has assured people that it will make sure that new maize varieties being studied do not affect their health in hazardous way.
“Our advice is that they should not use chemicals that are dangerous to human beings,” pleaded Dr. Collins Mitambo from the ministry’s research department.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :