Chinese, Kenyan scientists unveil inaugural harvest of high-yielding maize variety

NAIROBI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The first harvest of a high-yielding maize variety conceived through joint research between Chinese and Kenyan scientists was unveiled on Friday amid expectations that it will help tackle food insecurity affecting local small-holder farmers.

David Mburu, a lecturer at College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) said that the Chinese and Kenyan researchers identified the local maize variety, conducted research on viable agronomic practices like weeding, spacing, pest and disease control that would boost its yield without altering genetic make-up.