Combination of linkage and association mapping with genomic prediction to infer QTL regions associated with gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight resistance in tropical maize.

Among the diseases threatening maize production in Africa are gray leaf spot (GLS) caused by and northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) caused by . The two pathogens, which have high genetic diversity, reduce the photosynthesizing ability of susceptible genotypes and, hence, reduce the grain yield. To identify population-based quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GLS and NCLB resistance, a biparental population of 230 lines derived from the tropical maize parents CML511 and CML546 and an association mapping panel of 239 tropical and sub-tropical inbred lines were phenotyped across multi-environments in western Kenya.

Impact of the community healthcare plan and the free maternity services programme on maternal and child healthcare utilisation in rural Kenya: a dairy farmer population-based study.

Background: Access to and utilisation of quality maternal and child healthcare services is generally recognized as the best way to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Objectives: We evaluated whether the introduction of a voluntary family health insurance programme, combined with quality improvement of healthcare facilities [The Community Health Plan (TCHP)], and the introduction of free access to delivery services in all public facilities [Free Maternity Services programme (FMS)] increased antenatal care utilisation and use of facility deliveries among pregnant women in rural Kenya.

Methods: TCHP was introduced in 2011, whilst the FMS programme was launched in 2013.

Combining ability and testcross performance of drought-tolerant maize inbred lines under stress and non-stress environments in Kenya.

Drought and poor soil fertility are among the major abiotic stresses affecting maize productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Maize breeding efforts at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have focused on incorporating drought stress tolerance and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) into tropical maize germplasm. The objectives of this study were to estimate the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of selected maize inbred lines under drought stress (DS), low-nitrogen (LN) and optimum moisture and nitrogen (optimum) conditions, and to assess the yield potential and stability of experimental hybrids under these management conditions.

Genetic analysis of tropical maize inbred lines for resistance to maize lethal necrosis disease.

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease is a recent outbreak in eastern Africa and has emerged as a significant threat to maize production in the region. The disease is caused by the co-infection of Maize chlorotic mottle virus and any member of potyviridae family. A total of 28 maize inbred lines with varying levels of tolerance to MLN were crossed in a half-diallel mating design, and the resulting 340 F crosses and four commercial checks were evaluated under MLN artificial inoculation at Naivasha, Kenya in 2015 and 2016 using an alpha lattice design with two replications.