The backcross seeds of Ochuti, a farmer-preferred sorghum variety in Kenya wereintrogressed with Striga resistance QTL. Backcross seeds of Ochuti weredeveloped from the following backcrosses:

Marker Assisted Selection was used to introgress Striga resistanceQuantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) from an Indian durra N13 into a locallypreferred sorghum variety Ochuti. BC3F1 backcross from BMZ project and parentalseeds were sown in the greenhouse, leaves harvested after two weeks ofgermination and DNA extraction done. A total of 11 SSR polymorphic markers wereused in the foreground selection to trace the Striga resistance QTLs. This wasdone before flowering in order to select the plants with the QTLs to bebackcrossed to the recurrent parent Ochuti to generate BC4F1, same methodologyrepeated to generate BC5F1. Introgression of Striga resistant QTLs wassuccessful in five (5) plants.

The ultimate beneficiaries of the technology are conventional andmolecular breeders who will use it for further advancing and fixing of QTLs aswell as increasing seed for phenotypic validation. The technology was stillundergoing research and field testing and hence it had not yet been releasedfor public consumption.

The technology has the potential to increase sorghum production,boost farmers’ income and household food security. It’s likely to appeal toend-users since it involves a farmer preferred variety in addressing Striga, asalient biotic stress problem in sorghum production. Benefit can accrue to allgender categories, especially women who undertake the bulk of weeding workload.For this technology to reap dividends in Striga control and increase cropyields, information should be disseminated to scientists for development of Strigaresistant sorghum varieties.

The technology was still undergoing further research and had not yetbeen released for public use.

The technology is likely to be gender sensitivewith many women farmers anticipated to benefit more from it since they are theones who normally contribute a majority of family labor for hand hoe weeding.

Osama K. Sarah;

Research Assistant, BecA-ILRI;

P O Box 30709;

Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: +254-20-4223000

Mob: +254-722543736

Fax: +254-20-4223001

Email: s.osama@cgiar.org

Eliud K. Ngugi;

Scientist, University of Nairobi (UON);

P.O. Box 29053;

Nairobi, Kenya.

Email: Kahiu.ngugi@yahoo.com

Eunice Mutitu;

Scientist, University of Nairobi (UON);

P.O. Box 29053;

Nairobi, Kenya.

Dan Kiambi

Scientist, African Biodiversity Conservation & InnovationCentre (ABCIC)

P.O. Box 100882-00101

Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: +254-20-2330014

Mob: +254-722926086

Email: d.kiambi@abcic.org

Santie Devilliers;

Scientist, International Crops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT);

P.O. Box 30709-00100;

Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: +254-20-4223476

Mob: +254-733-220874

Email: s.devilliers@cgiar.org

Molecular markers have been used in tracing the Striga resistanceQTL. However, the multi-environmental tests for this material are yet to bedone.

Haussmann, B.I.G., Hess, D.E., Geiger, H.H. and Welz, H.G. 2000 b.Improved methodologies for breeding Striga-resistant sorghums. (ReviewArticle). Field Crops Research. 66, 195-201.

Haussmann, B.I.G., Hess, D.E., Reddy, B.V.S., Mauro, S.Z., Kenton,M., Welz, H.G. and Geiger, H.H. 2000c. Analysis of 5resistance to Strigahermonthica in diallel crosses of sorghum. Euphytica. 116, 33-40

Haussmann, B.I.G., Geiger, H.H. and Welz, H.G. 2001a. Quantitativegenetic parameters for resistance to Striga hermonthica in sorghum. In Moreno,M.T advances in parasitic plant research. Proceedings of the 6th Int. ParasiticPlant Weed Symposium.

Haussmann, B.I.G., Hess, D.E., Reddy, B.V.S., Mukuru, S.Z., Welz,H.G. and Geiger, H.H. 2001b. Major and minor genes for stimulation of Strigahermonthica seed germination in sorghum, and interaction with different Strigapopulations. Crop Science. 451(5).1507-1512.

Haussmann, B.I.G. 2001c. Pattern analysis of genotype xenvironment interaction for resistance and grain yield in Africa sorghumtrials. Euphytica. 122, 297-308