Maize is the most important food crop in Kenya. However. the poor rate of adoption of new varieties has been attributed in part to the poor interaction between breeders and farmers. An on-farm trial design methodology. known as "Mother and Baby Trials", was used to evaluate thirty new elite maize hybrids using farmer participatory methods at three sites located in Embu and Muranga Districts during the long rains of 2001. The varieties were evaluated in a mother trial using criteria generated by farmers during Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRA). There was no particular new maize variety that was consistently identified by farmers as better than the two local checks. PHB3253 and H513. across the three sites. In Makengi, Embu District. two new maize varieties were statistically better than PHB3253 and 11 were better than H513. In Ndunduri and Wangu in Embu and Muranga Districts. respectively, there were notable differences between some new maize varieties and the local checks, although the differences were not statistically significant. Mother and Baby on-farm trials are a novel methodology for obtaining farmer input and feedback on the selection of new varieties that are in advanced stages of development or are ready for release. The identification of superior maize varieties should be linked to a reliable seed supply system to increase the likelihood of adoption.

Socioeconomics Program

Text in English

0409|AGRIS 0401|AL-Maize Program

INT2512

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection