ADAPTABILITY OF PGMS AND TGMS RICE LINES FOR HYBRID RICE SEED PRODUCTION IN KENYA By DR. PAUL NJIRUH NTHAKANIO Innovation systems and knowledge-based economy for national development conference: 7 - 11 may 2012: Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). Nairobi. Kenya. Pg 34.

Authors Njiruh Paul Nthakanio:Kenya Polytechnic University College, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Kanya James Ireri : University of Nairobi, School of Biological sciences, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi. Kimani John Munji: Kenya Agricultural research, Institute (KARI), 4Wajogu Rapheal: Mwea Irrigation Agriculture Development

THEME FOOD SECURITY

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND a) OVERVIEW OF RICE PRODUCTION Rice production in Kenya is 90,000 tones Rice consumption is 300,000tones Deficit 300,000-50,000= 250,000tones References Kenya, Ministry of Agriculture, 2008

Land under rice cultivation in Kenya 20,000ha Average yield per hectare in Kenya is 2.8tones– (MoA, 2008) Average yield per hectare in China -10 tones per hectare under large scale production (Xie and Hardy, 2009)

CHINA SUPER HYBRID PROJECT Year Yields under field trials 1996-2000 10.5 t / ha 2001-05 12 t /ha 2010 13.5 t / ha

b) HYBRID RICE TECHNOLOGY

c) BIG QUESTIONS WHY FOOD INSECURITY IN KENYA ??? LOW YIELD PER HECATRE - poor technologies - pest - diseases - drought - Cold damage

1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM Production of hybrid rice is faced by one serious problem: Rice is self pollinating and to produce hybrid rice female parent must be emasculated to prevent contamination of hybrid seeds by self-bred seeds. Adaptable specific rice to be used as female parents are needed.

Emasculation is obtained thro; i) Manual : It is laborious ii) Chemical: Lead to pollution and expensive Genetics : Cytoplasmic male sterile lines PGMG/TGMS lines : This the best method so far because it has increased yield to as high as 17t/ha (under experimental fields). *But in Kenya this research is one of the initial hybrid rice breeding programs.

Justification /Impact/output Adaptable male sterile lines have be obtained that will enable Kenya join the rest of the world in producing hybrid rice seeds. Prsent land under rice 6,457 ha With hybrid rice Kenya has the potential to produce about 164,570 tones. % Increase = 257% If only we can get only 160, 000 hectares we can feed 40M Kenyans consuming about 100grams of rice daily for ones year without any starvation (using one season crop).

1.3 OBJECTIVE Goal : Increase rice yield per ha using Hybrid rice seed technology. Specific : Determine adaptability of PGMS and TGMS rice varieties for suitability of Hybrid seed technology

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 Plant Materials Two PGMS varieties (V1PGMS and V3PGMS) and One TGMS variety (V2TGMS) were imported from IRRI PGMS : Photosensitive genic male sterile TGMS: Thermosenstive genic male sterile

2.2 Methods High Temperature and Long day-light length Treatment

Long day-light length and High temperature growth conditions

Solar lighting to prolong day-light length

High Temperature and Normal day-light length growth conditions

Growth under normal day-light length and normal temperature

3.0 RESULTS Under LDL and HT and NDL and HT PGMS and TGMS were completely sterile (Table 1 and in Figure 1) Under NDL and LT PGMS and TGMS were fertile (Table 1 and in Figure 2)

Table1. Effects of day-light length and temperature treatments on Pollen fertility and seed set rate.

4. DISCUSSION Long day-light length growth conditions and higher temperature treatment at start of Meiosis lead of expression PGMS /TGMS gene and the rice is completely sterile (Fig. 1 a-d). In short day-light length growth conditions PGMS/TGMS revert to fertility – can propagate themselves (Fig. 2a-d).

Success in the tropics PGMS /TGMS has been widely used in the temperate regions where days are long and nights are short in summer time Our results indicate same technology can used in the tropics under elevated temperatures. Complete sterile PGMS/TGMS under high temperature indicates it is possible to produce rice hybrid seeds without contamination by self-bred seeds.

5. CONCLUSION Production of hybrid rice seeds using PGMS/TGMS lines is very viable in Kenya

Acknowledgement This research is funded by National Council for Science and Technology.

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