By Mekonnen Teshome
(In Hawassa)
“Science itself has loudly spoken” : Professor Firew Mekbib
Hawassa, Ethiopia (June 16, 2024) : Ethiopia’s plant breeders have expressed their convictions that the latest successful national “TELA” Genetically Modified (GM) maize trials signal a huge potential of productivity of the crop.
They asserted thier hope today while experts drawn from various pertinent organizations including universities, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the National Varieties Release Committee paid a visit to National Performance Trials (NPTs) farms in the vicinities of Hawassa Zurial, Sidama Regional State.
According to Professor Firew Mekbib, head of the Ethiopian National Varieties Release Committee: “It is self-evident that the TELA maize has shown that it has the ability to resist fall armyworm and water scarcity in the National Trial fields that anyone can witness the difference between the conventional and TELA maize varieties. Science itself has loudly spoken.”
“I hope now the TELA maize has brought a great hope to our Ethiopian smallholders in saving their money on insecticides and from higher yields and maize production as well as protecting themselves from chemicals exposure.”
“This is a technology that will tremendously benefit our small-scale farmers by growing the pest-resistance and high yielding variety with no expenses on highly unaffordable insecticide chemicals and maximum protection of their environment.”
TELA maize lead researcher in Ethiopia at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Dr. Tesfaye Disasa who is also spearheading the national ground-breaking trials said that he is very satisfied with the performance of the TELA maize in protecting itself from fall armyworm and drought in the final national open farm trials in different places.
The lead researcher also indicated before the current wide national trials the TELA maize also has undergone successful laboratory as well as Confined Field Trials (CFTs) where it came out very promising and having very high efficacy in its pest and drought resistance.
Dr. Tesfaye pointed out that following the authorization of TELA maize for confined Field Trials in 2018 by pertinent bodies, it was planted at EIAR’s Melkassa Agricultural Research Center in October 2018 as “GE WEMA maize”.
TELA Maize is productive, safe and economically empowering
The other EIAR lead researcher and Coordinator of the Open Forum On Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Dr. Tadessa Daba on his part said that the successful completion of the national field trials on selected farmers’ plots will allow TELA maize get the final approval from the National Varieties Release Committee to be commercially available for farmers to plant it in the next few years.
“Capable seed producers may also be invited to take part their role in the multiplication of the TELA maize seeds making it available for our farmers , and luckily it is royalty free, and our farmers can freely get it from local market by then. This is really very exciting.”
Dr. Daba also said that the drought-tolerant and insect-protected TELA maize will definitely provide economic, agronomic as well as environmental benefits to farmers as it helps them produce more dependable crop harvests with improved grain quality due to reduced insect damage.
He also confirms that TELA Maize is safe for both human and animal consumption because the maize has got its insect protection ability from a common soil-dwelling bacterium that we can also find in our surrounding including in our hands, soil, foods and even in our mouths and eating it always unconsciously.
TELA maize varieties are being developed through transgenic approaches and also undergo extensive health and safety risk assessments, he added.
Thanks to Biotechnology the TELA maize varieties stand out in their potential to resist armyworms and drought and addressing food security challenges.
The name TELA is derived from the Latin word tutela, which means “protection.” The TELA Maize Project is a public-private partnership led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) working towards the commercialization of transgenic drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties to enhance food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
As to AATF, smallholder farmers benefit from TELA maize, as it provides better drought tolerance, protection against stem borers, and partial but significant protection against fall armyworm. As a result, smallholders will spend less money on insecticides and reduce their exposure to these chemicals, besides benefiting from improved yields and better grain quality.