Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) plays a significant role in food and nutritional security in Kenya. However, production is constrained by: (i) Sweet potato virus diseases (SPVD) and weevils (Cylas spp.); (ii) shortage of clean planting materials; (iii) lack of suitable varieties for high altitude...

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an important food and cash crop. It is among the 10 strategic staple crops for food and income security in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA). Its importance continues to rise due to increased urbanization, change in eating habits and uptake of processed potato products...

Selecting seed potatoes from healthy-looking mother plants (positive selection, PS) was compared with the common Kenyan farmer practice of selection from the harvested bulk of potatoes (farmer selection, FS) in 23 farmer-managed trials. Data was obtained from replicated researcher- and...

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) and sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) are the fourth and seventh most important crop plants. Both are important subsistence crops in East Africa and complement each other since their growth requirements differ. Potato and sweetpotato are vegetatively propagated, making them...

The soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (SRE) and root knot nematodes (RKN) are major pathogens of potatoes and other crops globally; one of the most threatening emerging species of SRE is the newly identified Dickeya solani biovar 3. Using advanced molecular-based technologies for identification and...

Our aim was to establish farmers' knowledge of black Sigatoka disease, farmers' and consumers' preferences for East African highland bananas (Musa spp. AAA-EA), and the qualities desired in new disease-resistant banana genotypes. A structured questionnaire was given to 59 households during October...