Author
Claire Sands Baker
Toothpick Project, US / Kenya / Uganda
United States; Toothpick Company Ltd., Kenya
Coauthors
David C Sands, Montana State University, Professor Emeritus
Peter Lueth, Toothpick Company Ltd., Kakamega, Kenya
Henry Sila Nzioki, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Machakos, Kenya
Dorcas Kemboi, Toothpick Company Ltd., Kakamega, Kenya
Loise Kioko, Toothpick Company Ltd., Kakamega, Kenya
Abstract
The Toothpick Project’s innovation, developed over four decades and commercialized in 2021, uses strains of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae selected for overproduction and excretion of specific amino acids, killing the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (witchweed), Africa’s worst pest threat to food security. The seed coating product, Kichawi KillTM, safely and affordably helps farmers restore their crop yield with an average increase of 37-65%. Historically, bioherbicides have not been a sufficient alternative to the dominant use of synthetic chemical herbicides. To be used safely as bioherbicides, plant pathogens need to be host specific, non-toxic, and yet sufficiently virulent to control a specific weed. For commercialization, bioherbicides must be affordable and require a sufficient shelf life for distribution. Given the current triple storm encountered by the chemical herbicide industry (herbicide-resistant weeds, lawsuits, and consumer pushback), there exists an opportunity to use certain plant pathogens as bioherbicides by enhancing their virulence. By discussing barriers in the scope of knowledge, policy, and finance in the development of the Toothpick Project’s new microbial bioherbicide, we hope to help others to anticipate the challenges and provide change-leaders a ground level perspective of bioherbicide development.
keywords
Biocontrol
striga
bioherbicide
fusarium
mycoherbicide
Highlights
Kichawi Kill is a strain of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae selected for amino acid overproduction
Striga (witchweed), an invasive parasitic weed on staple crops in Africa, finally has a solution
The virulence-enhancement platform technology can be developed for other weeds globally