Climate-smart Kenyan crop hits a setback – hungry birds
Abstract
This article describes the threat to the Gadam sorghum variety, a fast-maturing, drought-tolerant sorghum introduced in Kenya as a solution for farmers trying to adapt to changing climate conditions, from red-billed quelea birds which are eating the seed before it can be harvested, resulting in huge crop losses. Possible measures which can be taken to control the losses are discussed. They include use of scarecrows, encouraging many more farmers to plant the crop so that losses are shared thus limiting damage to individual farmers, and breeding a new variety which is not so well liked by the birds. The threat to beer production if the demand for the cereal by the Kenya Breweries Company cannot be met is also mentioned.
Citation
Esipisu, I. Climate-smart Kenyan crop hits a setback – hungry birds. (2013) 1 pp.