Gene Editing

The Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) is implementing a 6 year Gene editing project. The project will use gene editing technology to develop maize lines tolerant to Maize Lethal Necrosis, a disease that reduces maize harvest in Kenya by nearly a quarter on average. Four MLN-susceptible lines will be edited to make them tolerant to MLN. The four susceptible lines are the parents of two popular, stress-tolerant but MLN-susceptible hybrids developed and commercialized before 2011 in Kenya and Uganda. The edited, MLN-tolerant lines will be used to make MNL-tolerant versions of the hybrids, which will carry all the farmer-preferred agronomic traits and stress tolerance of the popular hybrids, with the added advantage of MLN tolerance.

The project will benefit small holder farmers by enabling access to MLN tolerant maize hybrids to protect and boost yield and improve livelihood and food security through effective fight against MLN. As for seed companies, the project will enable them overcome current seed production challenges due to MLN susceptibility of parental lines, access to the MLN tolerant varieties royalty free, and expanding the number of the stress and MLN tolerant African inbred lines and hybrids.

The project is currently at its third year, with the 3^rd Annual Review and Planning meeting held. During year three, the resistance of all the four edited lines in Ohio will be validated before sending them to Kenya to confirm resistance. The project’s next phase will finalize the conversion of the four lines to two hybrids, conduct product development and deployment, expand to other countries, and additional research and validation.

The gene editing project is a partnership between CIMMYT, Corteva, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and STAK. STAK sits at the steering committee.