The importance of market signals in crop varietal development: lessons from Komboka rice variety

Abstract

Growing high-yielding varieties is crucial for successful crop production and maximizing farmers’ net returns. One such example is IR05N221, locally referred to as Komboka rice variety, which was released in Kenya in 2013. On the one hand, Komboka can bridge the gap in rice imports since yields of existing rice varieties do not meet the increasing rice consumption levels of the Kenyan population. On the other hand, it has taken about seven years for Komboka to be appreciated by farmers, necessitating the need to understand farmer preferences when it comes to adopting a new improved variety. We used a mixed-method study approach by combining quantitative and qualitative data collected regionally and locally in both rainfed and irrigated ecologies. When compared to most of the other rice varieties under evaluation, Komboka was high-yielding, early-maturing, and had moderate tolerance to diseases in both rainfed and irrigated ecologies. However, farmers at the regional level ranked Komboka either at the same or lower rank in terms of sensory attributes. At the local level, farmers predominantly grew older and more aromatic Basmati 370 rice variety for sale, as it fetched them more money, with preferences for both men and women rice farmers being the same. Despite Komboka being a high-yielding variety, Mwea rice farmers’ perceptions and preferences for this improved variety were low. While Komboka was equally aromatic, the lack of a ready market dissuaded these farmers from widely preferring the new Komboka variety. We provide prerequisite information that can support the commercialization and promotion of the Komboka variety. We also show that widespread favourable perception of new varieties hinges on matching preferences between breeders’ efforts for improved rice productivity with farmers’ needs for market competitiveness in these new varieties.

Using Principal Component Analysis to Assess Soil Chemical Properties in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya: Implications for Rice Agronomic Management

“…Each section comprises multiple units: Mwea (17), Tebere (17), Thiba (11), Wamumu (7), Karaba (10), Ndekia (5), and Curukia (8). The present research focused on the first five sections, which have been under rice cultivation for over three decades.…”

“…Previous research suggests that 10 kg K ha -1 is required per ton of rice grain harvested [72]. Considering that IR05N221 and Basmati370 are the predominant rice varieties cultivated within the MIS, with yield potentials of 7.5-and 3.5-tons ha −1 , respectively [10,7], application rates of 75 kg and 35 kg K ha −1 would be deemed adequate to meet crop requirements for IR05N221, and Basmati370, respectively. Furthermore, for efficient potassium utilization, [73] recommended a split application at early tillering and at panicle initiation, corresponding to 45−50 and 60−65 days after sowing, respectively, for both IR05N221 and Basmati370.…”

“…Specifically, within the MIS, paddy rice productivity decreased from 5.6 to 6.0 tons per hectare during the period between 1967 and 1977, to a range of 1.3 to 4.6 tons per hectare between 2008 and 2018 [6]. Notably, varieties such as IR05N221 and AT054, with average yield potential of 7.5 tons per hectare, remain popular within the MIS [7]. To address this decline and enhance productivity within the MIS, there is a pressing need to characterize soil chemical conditions and nutrient status to pinpoint the underlying causes of these yield gaps.…”

Role of Artificial Selection Based on the Farmer’s Choice in Diversification of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars: Assessment of Character Weight of Aromatic Group

“…In recent rice research there is a lot of emphasis on the production of new rice plant types and several mega projects on rice that promise to increase the rice yield to feed the teeming human population on this planet (Ng'endo, et al, 2022, Salem et al, 2022Bin Rahman and Zhang, 2023). Several different approaches have been envisioned for this initiative.…”