The Principal Investigator said that the potato industry is beset by a number of issues throughout the crop’s harvest at the Muguga CFT. One of these issues is potato late blight, whose management continues to be a significant difficulty, particularly for smallholder farmers in the potato-growing regions of Kenya. These farmers must spray up to 20 times with pesticides to control late blight in order to have a fair yield.
“Potato is a key food as well as cash crop in the highlands of Kenya and is extensively produced by smallholder farmers. It is the second most significant food crop in Kenya after maize, employing over 2.5 million persons. It plays a key role in Kenyan food security and contributes to alleviation of poverty,” said Dr Taracha.
Scientists working on Biotech Potatoes Free From Blight Disease
