Biocontrol technology for sub-Saharan African smallholder farmers to control Striga weed in maize, sorghum, millet (increasing yield by 50% in Gates trials).
Africa
Joined March 2016
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We achieved a major milestone for The Toothpick Project, benefitting East Africa farmers and global sustainable agriculture:
We are proud to announce that Kichawi Kill, our Striga biocontrol seed coating, has officially received regulatory approval in Uganda. 🇺🇬
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Does this make Toothpick the world's only microbial herbicide with multinational approval. Is that true?
Our 3rd party regulatory trials are in the ground in Tanzania (thanks, Global Innovation Fund), with hopes that we can make another similar announcement in the next year. 🇹🇿
Has the Striga problem been solved? JGressel's newest: “to critically evaluate whether the results of recent basic research are applicable in their present form for use in the field, and if not, what needs to be done to attain effective Striga management."
researchgate.net/publication…
Thank you to @Welthungerhilfe and Seeding the Future Foundation for facilitating our participation at @TheAGRF in #Dakar this week! We came, we pitched, we attended many many informative and inspirational sessions, and we connected with ministries (Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia)!
We have wrapped up the week at @TheAGRF in #Dakar #Senegal. I'm grateful my presentation was in the morning on day two so I could focus my energy on sessions and meetings with stakeholders, funders, and ministries. Missions accomplished!
#AFSForum2025 #AFSF2025 #foodsecurity
TheToothpickProject retweeted
Kama si @WFP_Kenya kusambaza dawa za kupambana na magugu maisha ya mkulima mdogo wa mahindi Catherine Wanjala wa #Kakamega Magharibi mwa #Kenya yangekuwa bado 'pangu pakavu'.
TheToothpickProject retweeted
Bioherbicide helps lift Kenya's witchweed curse on farmers citizen.digital/news/bioherb…
TheToothpickProject retweeted
Catherine Wanjala's small maize farm in western Kenya was suffering. Her crops would stop growing at knee height and her field was peppered with the lilac flowers indicative of witchweed reut.rs/40pXTeW
TheToothpickProject retweeted
Could a bioherbicide lift the witchweed curse from Kenya's farms? Here’s what you need to know reut.rs/4f4jGNH
50 million hectares across Africa have Striga witchweed, making it the worst pest threat to food security.
The World Food Programme's innovation unit has funded trials to help scale up the fungal bioherbicide Kichawi Kill, with the hope it can begin to reach the estimated 1.4 million hectares of land plagued by witchweed across sub-Saharan Africa reut.rs/40nAwlU
TheToothpickProject retweeted
The World Food Programme's innovation unit has funded trials to help scale up the fungal bioherbicide Kichawi Kill, with the hope it can begin to reach the estimated 1.4 million hectares of land plagued by witchweed across sub-Saharan Africa reut.rs/40nAwlU
TheToothpickProject retweeted
“Before Kichawi Kill, I was always sad and worried about providing for my family,” said Catherine Wanjala. “After using it, my life has been transformed, my family has food.”
@WFPInnovation is helping more farmers in Kenya tackle the destructive striga weed with Kichawi Kill, an eco-friendly bioherbicide, that protect crops while preserving #biodiversity. #COP16Colombia
The World Food Programme's innovation unit has funded trials to help scale up the fungal bioherbicide Kichawi Kill, with the hope it can begin to reach the estimated 1.4 million hectares of land plagued by witchweed across sub-Saharan Africa reut.rs/40nAwlU
TheToothpickProject retweeted
Fantastic guys! Amazing effort to help small holder farmers in Africa control #parasiticplants witchweed Striga
Striga is on 50 million ha. across Africa. Our pilot in Kenya is well underway and we are now initiating expansion into other countries (2025 launch in Uganda, w/ trials in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, and then other EAC members). @WFP @WFPInnovation @WFP_Africa @WFP_Kenya
Kichawi Kill is one of the world's 1st commercialized bioherbicides! In our first full season (2024), we reached almost 13,000 farmers to help them safely, affordably and effectively restore their crop yield. We're currently fundraising to expand to other countries across Africa.
Struggling against the parasitic plant that nearly wiped out her crops, farmer Catherine Wanjala found a lifeline that turned her maize yields around – a fungal bioherbicide reut.rs/4f4jGNH
Striga is on 50 million ha. across Africa. Our pilot in Kenya is well underway and we are now initiating expansion into other countries (2025 launch in Uganda, w/ trials in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, and then other EAC members). @WFP @WFPInnovation @WFP_Africa @WFP_Kenya
