The Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub has established a new breeding facility in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Integrated Genotyping Service and Support (IGSS) Centre — the first of its kind in Africa — will give farmers access to advanced DNA marker technology services at subsidised costs, thus accelerating the breeding of improved crop and animal varieties.

Appolinaire Djikeng, director of BecA-ILRI Hub, said DNA marker technologies greatly reduce the breeding cycle and the new facility will help farmers develop improved crop and animal varieties that tackle the region’s agricultural problems much faster.

“Countries will no longer need to incur costs of sending samples to Europe as has previously been the case,” said Dr Djikeng.

For instance, plant breeders in East Africa have been working towards developing maize varieties resistant to the Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease, which has caused havoc on farms since 2013.

The work involves crossing local varieties affected by MLN with others that are resistant to it. Then they have to wait for the “offspring” to grow before determining their level of resistance.

“The DNA marker technology will hasten this process. So we expect farmers to get seed varieties resistant to MLN much faster,” said Dr Djikeng.

Dr Djikeng said the new facility will enhance the continent’s breeding standards.

He added that the IGSS Centre will also serve as a training centre for African scientists who will be able to use sophisticated DNA marker technologies.

This is expected to enhance the breeding and production of improved varieties of African indigenous food crops like millet and cassava, which have for many years been ignored by breeding companies outside the continent.