Abstract

J. O. Ouma and H. De Groote

Maize is the major staple food for most Kenyan households, and is grown in almost all agro-ecological zones.
To assure that new technologies fit farmers’ needs and conditions, Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs) were
undertaken in the moist transitional zone of Eastern Kenya, as part of a nationwide study. The results of group
discussions in five communities of the zone show that farmers grow a wide range of varieties. Eleven improved
varieties were grown, the most popular being Makueni, an improved Open Pollinated Variety (OPV) (grown by
71% of the farmers), followed by Pioneer hybrid PHB3253 (57%), and Kenya Seed Company’s hybrids for the
mid-altitudes: H511 (50%) and H512 (30%). A third of the farmers (31%) grow local varieties. To select their
maize varieties, farmers reported 14 criteria, especially high yield, early maturity, tolerance to weevils, and
good yield in both rainy seasons. The two major constraints were a cash constraint (to purchase inputs), low or
erratic rainfall, low technical knowledge, the high cost of seed, low soil fertility and stem borers. Stem borers
were by far the most important pest, ranked in the top three by all groups, followed by chaffer grubs, squirrels,
termites and weevils. Indigenous control methods are the most popular, with only a quarter of farmers using
chemical control. Farmers estimate that stem borer infestation decreases yields by 33 to 80%, and would be
very interested in resistant varieties. The liberalization of the seed market has clearly been successful in the
study zone, and the number of stockists and available new varieties increasing fast. However, seed quality and
the lack of control is a major concern, as is the lack of credit.