Beating hunger, dry spell with GMO crops

Most farmers in Malawi continue to face effects of climate change such as dry spell and sometimes prolonged rainfall which cause flooding in some parts of the country, damaging crops in the process.

The year 2023 marked one of the most challenging years for Malawi, as Cyclone Freddy struck the country, causing widespread devastation to agricultural lands.

A report by Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (Dodma) shows that farmers suffered immensely with more than 200 000 hectares of crops getting destroyed due to the cyclone which caused havoc across the country.

In addition to the havoc wreaked by natural disasters, the persistent invasion of fall armyworms further compounds the plight of farmers, diminishing crop yields and exacerbating food insecurity across the nation.

To defeat the worms, some farmers devised traditional means of eliminating the fall army worms such as applying wet soil in the maize leaves or a solution of pounded chilli pepper and salt.

Despite the repelling traditional mechanisms, the worms continue to worsen and invade crops year in and year out.

Mchinji-based farmer Robert Katumbi says aside the dry spells this year, fall army worms have also been intensely tough on crops.

He says he would have lost all his maize to the worms if he had not applied insecticides five times for a month.

“I struggled to eliminate the army worms in my maize garden. I applied insecticides three times to at least lessen their impact, but they keep coming. Luckily, I have managed to save a bigger portion of the maize crop,” says Katumbi.

The incessant invasion of the army worms coupled by other challenges has significantly led to a decline in crop yield, hence contributing to food insecurity.

Could GM crops be the solution?

However, amidst these adversities, could genetically modified (GM) crops offer a viable solution?

The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) is conducting a confined field trial for biotechnology developed maize crop, to confirm the efficacy of genetically modified maize crop in line against leaf-eating insects and herbicides tolerance.

The research, according to the scientists, could be a long-lasting solution against the fall army worms and dry spells and beat food insecurity.

During a visit to some of the trials, organised by Luanar and National Commission for Science and Technology, trial manager, Kingdom Kwapata says the main objective for the trials are to identify and determine whether the insect resistance particularly fall army worms is working for the transgenic maize plant.

Kwapata says looking at the progress, it is evident that the plants that have the Transgenes, the leaves are intact, while those that do not have their leaves have been damaged with the Fall army worms.

He says: “The major benefit for this technology, once done and approved, is that it will increase crop yield and because of that we are also expecting a corresponding increase in incomes.

“As you know, fall army worms are one of the devastating impacts for maize in the country, and now the research has demonstrated that the maize we have are resistant to insects, this is very good news to farmers and the country as a whole.”

Kwapata says the research will take three to four years because after the confined trial, they will take the trials in other parts of the country to ensure the stability of the genes to see that it is performing the same way as in the confined trials so that there is uniformity across the nation.

Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology project manager Vitumbiko Chinoko, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya says his organisation is supporting technology development particularly the modern technology like the GMO technologies.

He says: “Climate change has significantly affected agriculture and food systems in Africa and we see population is growing and how the food import bill in Africa is also growing.

“It is time African member States can count on the challenges on the adoption of technologies into the agricultural systems.”

Chinoko says currently they are seeing those commitments in the agricultural sector, with 10 percent going into the science and technology and little on GM technologies.

“It is high time for Malawi to embrace these types of technologies to improve on food security,” he says. 

On negative perception about GMO foods, Chinoko says there are a lot of negative perceptions countering the integration and adoption of the technologies into food systems.

He says said Africa is moving in the right direction saying several countries such as South Africa have already adopted the system and soon Mozambique is also adopting the technologies into their food system.

Says Chinoko: “We have GMOs in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria has commercialised maize, Ghana and Burkna Faso have both commercialised cowpeas.

“By doing so in these countries it means these technologies are good and they are helping farmers.”

He says all the perceptions and propagandas about GMO foods and all the technologies that can cause cancer are false, adding that these technologies take vigorous processes before they are accepted and given to farmers.

National Commission for Science and Technology chief research officer Lyson Kampira said biotechnology has proven the potential of tackling pests, especially in maize crop which reduces yield in Malawi.

He said this is why Luanar and National Commission for Science and Technology have commenced the confined field trial to promote the technology.

Says Kampira: “We are trying to see whether this biotechnology can help to fight fall army worm in Malawi so that we can increase our crop yield.

“Having visited the trial site we have seen that the maize crop under GM trial is growing very well and has not been attacked with Fall Army worm while the local variety is heavily under attack.”

Luanar plant breeder and genetics expert Professor Moses Maliro said the introduction of GM crops such as maize, ushers in a great solution to food insecurity in the country.

Some of the benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture are increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the world’s growing population.