Ua Kayongo Field Test Instructions

Thank you for participating in the AATF Striga Management field test that examines the new Ua Kayongo Hybrid No. 1 maize. When treated with Strigaway™ herbicide, Ua Kayongo will destroy the striga that has infested your land.  This project results from collaboration between The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), BASF-Strigaway, CIMMYT, SACRED-Africa, SCODP and other NGOs throughout Nyanza and Western Provinces. 

This package contains Ua Kayongo hybrid maize that has been treated with Strigaway™ (Imazapyr) herbicide, Lindane insecticide and Thiram fungicide.  The contents of this package are intended for test planting in striga infested fields during the long rains 2005 and MUST NOT BE EATEN!  This package contains 1 kg of treated Ua Kayongo seed, three different 1-kg bags of fertilizer and accompanying instructions and is intended for 400 m² (about 20 m x 20 m). 

Ua Kayongo H1 is planted and managed in the same way you normally cultivate your maize in terms of spacing and early weed management. 

Five steps in establishing the field test with Ua Kayongo

1. Mark an area of 20 m x 20 m that was severely affected by striga last season.  Prepare the soil using your standard practice such as hand digging, animal plowing or other method.

2.  Broadcast the DAP fertilizer (dark brown granules) and urea fertilizer (white crystals) across the soil surface and dig into the soil about 15 cm (6 inches).

3.  If the Ua Kayongo maize is to be intercropped with a legume such as beans, then plant the beans first and the treated Ua Kayongo maize last. This is done to avoid Strigaway™ herbicide damage to beans that are hand planted.  Ua Kayongo can be intercropped with legumes, but the two must not be planted in the same hole, as the Strigaway™ herbicide is likely to affect the legume seed.

4.  Wash your hands thoroughly after planting Ua Kayongo treated with Strigaway™ herbicide (or any other seed that is treated with pesticides)

5.  Apply the CAN fertilizer (light brown granules) as a side-dressing to the maize either following the second weeding or just before the maize tassels.

If the Strigaway™ Clearfield technology is successful in your maize crop, then little or no striga will emerge in this 400 m² field!  For long-term control of Striga, Ua Kayongo should be combined with other Striga management technologies, such as the Push-Pull system, or MBILI planted with groundnut, golden gram, soyabean or lablab.  One recently identified advantage of using Ua Kayongo is that the first weeding is less tedious due to the reduced number of weeds near the young maize seedling.