Kichawi Kill: Striga Bioherbicide

Mitigating Africa’s worst pest threat to food security by revolutionizing crop protection with a biological and sustainable weed control alternative. The Toothpick Project introduces an innovative biocontrol technology utilizing a specific strain of host-specific fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae, to combat Striga (witchweed), Africa's most severe pest threatening food security. Approximately 50 million hectares of croplands (around 40 million farms) in sub-Saharan Africa are infested with Striga, causing over $9 billion in crop losses annually. Striga plants produce over 50,000 seeds per season, easily spreading through wind, human and animal traffic, and farming tools, adding to the soil seed bank. This selective biological herbicide “Kichawi Kill”, applied by farmers as a seed coating, aims to restore crop yields by targeting Striga without harming maize. This game-changing agri-tech provides a safe, effective, and affordable alternative to traditional chemical herbicides.