Research Endeavor: The Toothpick Venture
In the fight against Striga, a parasitic weed that poses a significant threat to food security in sub-Saharan Africa, a game-changing solution has emerged. The Toothpick Project, a social enterprise based in Kenya, has developed Kichawi Kill™, a fungal-based bioherbicide that has proven highly effective in combating Striga and significantly improving crop yields.
Kichawi Kill™ is the trademarked and registered name of FOXY T14 in Kenya, and it has been granted product registration after three years of efficacy trials. The bioherbicide targets Striga, which severely impacts staple crops by siphoning nutrients and water, often leading to yield losses up to 80% or complete crop failure. Striga's ability to produce vast quantities of dormant seeds makes it a persistent and devastating challenge on millions of hectares of farmland, with financial losses estimated in billions annually across affected regions.
The bioherbicide stands out for being environmentally friendly, easy to use for farmers, and among the first fungal bioherbicides to be commercialized globally. Its introduction offers a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical herbicides and helps to restore productivity on heavily infested farms.
The Toothpick Project is a product of a public-private partnership, involving Welthungerhilfe, researchers in Montana, and the Kenya Agriculture & Livestock Research Organization. The company is also one of Welthungerhilfe's first shareholder participations in a social enterprise, setting a precedent for them to invest in other enterprise ventures.
The Toothpick Company aims to establish a functional last mile distribution system, training village-entrepreneurs to become community-based inoculum producers. These village-entrepreneurs will have access to the Fusarium inoculum, allowing them to sell the final product to farmers at an affordable price.
The process of creating the secondary inoculum is straightforward. Farmers cook a pot of rice, add the fungus-bearing wood, and create a secondary inoculum by shaking the mixture twice a day for three days. Half a teaspoon of the secondary inoculum is then placed next to the seed into each seed hole, protecting the crop from Striga.
Field monitoring, such as visits to farmers in western Kenya, supports these effectiveness claims by showing improved maize crop health and growth following Kichawi Kill™ use. During a pilot project in Kenya, crop yields increased by more than 50% on average compared to untreated plots.
Prof. Sands is currently building a network of African biocontrol scientists to transfer the bioherbicide technology from the Kenyan pilot project to other Striga-diseased countries. The Toothpick Company is planning to expand its operations, initially in western Kenya, and aims to extend to other regions and countries in Africa in the future.
The Toothpick Project was announced as one of the 50 Best Small Businesses of the "Good Food for All" competition. The biological herbicide Kichawi Kill has been approved for commercial use against Striga by the Kenya Pest Control Product Board on February 26, 2021.
In summary, Kichawi Kill™ represents a game-changing, sustainable solution to the Striga problem in sub-Saharan Africa, with strong evidence of substantial yield improvements for smallholder farmers within a single growing season. The Toothpick Project offers hope for farmers in the region, providing a practical and effective means of combating a persistent and devastating agricultural pest.
[1] The Toothpick Project. (n.d.). Kichawi Kill™: Biological Herbicide for Striga Control. Retrieved from https://thetoothpickproject.org/kichawikill/
[2] The Toothpick Project. (n.d.). Striga. Retrieved from https://thetoothpickproject.org/striga/
- Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face a significant threat from Striga, a parasitic weed, but a solution has emerged in the form of Kichawi Kill™, a fungal-based bioherbicide developed by The Toothpick Project.
- The bioherbicide, registered as FOXY T14 in Kenya, stands out for being environmentally friendly, easy to use, and has proven highly effective in combating Striga, leading to significant improvements in crop yields.
- To ensure Kichawi Kill™ reaches more farmers, The Toothpick Project is establishing a functional last mile distribution system, training village-entrepreneurs to become community-based inoculum producers.
- The bioherbicide, approved for commercial use against Striga by the Kenya Pest Control Product Board in 2021, is a product of a public-private partnership, involving Welthungerhilfe, researchers in Montana, and the Kenya Agriculture & Livestock Research Organization.
- The Toothpick Project, recognized as one of the 50 Best Small Businesses of the "Good Food for All" competition, is planning to expand its operations, aiming to combat Striga in other regions and countries across Africa, providing a practical and effective means of food security for smallholder farmers in the impacted areas.
