Efforts to improve the productivity and production of maize in DR Congo have received a boost as trials across the various agroecological zones in that country show promising results.
Dr Silvestro Meseka, IITA Maize Breeder who is back from the field, reports that the results are the product of a collaborative research project on the introduction of improved maize hybrids and varieties that was initiated by IITA in early February 2013 under the CGIAR Research Program MAIZE. First, two senior technicians were invited and trained after which hybrid and variety trials of different maturity groups for evaluation at Mvuazi (Bas Congo), Kipopo (Katanga), and Ng andajika (Kasai- Oriental) were deployed.
According to him, the main purpose of this research was to evaluate and identify high-yielding, adaptable maize hybrids and varieties for release to farmers that will contribute to food security as well as increase income of maize-growing smallholders in DR Congo.
Maize hybrids trials
More than 150 maize hybrids were evaluated at the Institut National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA) testing sites at Kipopo (4° 58’S, 17° 50’E and 1300 m altitude), Ngadajika (6° 43’S and 23° 56’E, 779 m altitude), and Mvuazi (5° 27’S, 14° 54’E and 470 m altitude) during the main season (November 2013– February 2014). Maize genotypes tested at Kipopo were improved for adaptation to the mid-altitudes, while those tested at Mvuazi and Ng andajika were developed for adaptation to lowl and agroecologies. Most of the hybrids combined tolerance to multiple stresses including drought tolerance (DT) with high yield potential.
During the harvest (March 2014), six DT hybrids with superior performance were selected from more than 150 hybrids with the active participation of the maize breeder, Dr Kankolongo Mbuya, and the support staff of the national maize breeding program at Ng andajika Research Station (NRS). The criteria used for selection included ear aspect traits (good and uniform ear fill, uniformity of grain color and ear size, low number of ear rots, ear tip cover) and st andability. Similar results were also reported at Mvuazi Research Station.
Potential maize productivity
Dr Meseka said the potential of maize productivity is high in DR Congo, especially in Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, and Bas Congo Provinces. “The performance of some maize varieties seemed to be relatively stable even in fields where inorganic fertilizers were not being applied,” he added.
Because most improved varieties were lost during the civil unrest, most farmers (85%) use saved seeds from local varieties.
Currently, there are three improved high-yielding maize varieties, LONGE-5, MUDISHI-3, and KATOKI WA LUKASA being grown in DRC. Two of the varieties (LONGE-5, MUDISHI-3) were improved for enhanced levels of quality protein and can be referred to as quality protein maize (QPM), while KATOKI WA LUKASA is normal maize that combined high grain yield with resistance to downy mildew (DMR). KATOKI WA LUKASA and MUDISHI-3 were originally introduced from IITA as AK9331-DMR-ESR-Y and DMR-ESR-W-QPM, respectively. According to maize breeders in DRC, maize varieties such as SHABA and KASAI introduced from CIMMYT in the mid-1970s; and IKENE-1, KWILU, and SAMARU introduced from IITA around the same time were well adapted to several agroecologies (B andundu, Kinshasa, Bas Congo, and Kasai-Oriental provinces) in DRC. This is because most IITA maize genotypes were basically improved for resistance to maize streak virus (MSV) and downy mildew, two major foliar diseases of economic importance in the tropics, which are also common in most maize growing agroecologies in DR Congo.
Most farmers prefer white kernel maize for food and this helped in the rapid adoption of the two QPM varieties. However, there is growing interest in yellow maize (KATOKI WA LUKASA) with the advent of poultry and piggery industries in DR Congo.
For more information, please contact: Silvestro Meseka, Maize Breeder, s.meseka@cgiar.org or Godwin Atser, Western and Central Africa Regional Communications Officer, g.atser@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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