© The Real IPM Company Thika, Kenya

Biopesticide seed treatments for improved growth of maize

seedlings

Daniel M. Kang`etheResearch and Development Team, The Real IPM Company,

(Kenya) Ltd

First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27

February 2013

© The Real IPM Company Thika, Kenya

summary

- Objective

- Background

- Methodology/procedure

- Criteria of evaluating growth promotion.

- Assessment

- Conclusion

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Back ground

Consortium of:

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya) (JKUAT)

Alpha Seeds, Tanzania.

The Real IPM Company (K) Ltd, Kenya

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Real IPM

Biocontrol company based in Thika, Kenya

Delivery of Biopesticide on the seed.

Many advantages of seed delivery

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Research Objective

To assess the growth promoting effect of Biopesticides (T. asperellum, B. subtilis, M. anisopiliae and T. asperellum + M. anisopiliae) as seed treatment on maize.

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Procedure

Origin of Biopesticides

Formulated specially for seed coating.

Maize was used as test plant.

Manufactured by Real IPM Kenya.

Design for on farm application

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Procedure cont…

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Procedure cont..

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Procedure cont…

Above plate pictures of (a) Seed coated maize sample and the control and (b) colony growth

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Treatments

1. T. asperellum2. M. anisopiliae 3. B. subtilis4. T. asperellum + M. anisopiliae 5. Control

Germination and seedling growth assessments

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Parameters

• Germination• Tap root length • Number of feeder roots• Shoot height • Fresh weight of the seedlings

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Results - Germination

0

20

40

60

8079.6

54

83.0777.33

83.33

TREATMENTS

GER

MIN

ATIO

N %

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Shoot length

BACILLUS CONTROL MET + TRICHO

METARH TRICHO0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

7.27

4.72

8.31

7.34

8.92

TREATMENTS

SH

OO

T LEN

GTH

(cm

)

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Tap root length

BACILLUS CONTROL MET + TRICHO

METARH TRICHO0

5

10

15

20

25

19.21

12.01

21.5320.53

15.59

TA

P R

OO

T L

EN

GTH

(cm

)

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Number of feeder roots

BACILLUS CONTROL MET + TRICHO

METARH TRICHO0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

5.6

4.4

5.27

5.93

5.4

TREATMENTS

NU

MB

ER

OF F

EED

ER

RO

OTS

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© The Real IPM Company Thika, Kenya

Assessment

Biopesticides cfu`s/ Maize seed

Trichoderma asperellum 9.2 X10 7 Bacillus subtilis 7.5 X10 6

Metarhizium anisopliae 1.3 X10 6

How many microbes on the seed?

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Conclusion

Biopesticides enhance growth

Act as growth promoters

Widely reported effect

Complex mechanism

Other pest and disease benefits(See JKUAT paper)

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Conclusion

What next

Cropping trials have begun

Seed company application (as opposed to on farm treatment)

Looking for seed company partners in the region

Please contact Real IPM/me

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Contacts:info@realipm.comwww.realipm.com

Thank you