SCRI is leading an international project to help potato farmers in Kenya.

The mission is being supported with a grant from the Monsanto Fund totalling £186,000.

The ambition is to increase potato yields - and importantly Kenyan farmer's incomes - by establishing systems to support virus-free potato seed tuber production. The potato is the second most important food crop in Kenya after maize. 1.2 million tonnes are grown every year and the potato plays an important role in food security.

The work will last for two years and will see the Dundee-based scientists working with three organisations in Kenya: the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and the University of Nairobi.

Virus diseases are a major factor limiting potato production in Kenya. They are a major cause of degeneration in the seed potato stocks over time. This is particularly the case with viruses transmitted by aphids.

It is known that yields can be substantially improved if systems are in place to produce virus-free seed tubers for planting the main crop. However, in sub-Saharan Africa – including Kenya - the system of virus-free seed tuber production is not well developed and most farmers grow their main crop from home-saved seed which is mostly diseased.

The project will use the Scottish seed tuber production system as a model.

SCRI’s Head of Plant Pathology, Dr Lesley Torrance will lead the project. She said: “There is massive scope for crop improvement by effective control of virus diseases and their aphid carriers.

“We hope to increase potato yields and thereby farmers’ incomes on a sustainable basis by establishing systems to support virus-free seed tuber production.”

Dr Torrance said: “The project will be sustainable in the longer term because staff from participating organisations will help the Kenyan crop protection service - working with growers - to support seed tuber production.”

A spokesperson for the Monsanto Fund said: “We are delighted to be able to support this project which not only is very much in line with our focus area on improving nutrition through agriculture but will also really benefit farmers, especially given the challenges of ensuring food security and the need to boost farmers’ productivity and income.”

Dr Wilson Songa, the Agriculture Secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, noted that Kenya’s average potato yields are only 5-10 tonnes/ha compared to about 40 t/ha obtained in countries such as the United Kingdom. He said that every effort must be made to provide farmers with clean planting tubers and adequate training so that they can increase their yields, improve their income and contribute towards national food security. He pledged that the Ministry of Agriculture would play a key role in the partnership.

The project coordinator, Dr. Hassan Were of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, said: “This project will identify regions in the country suitable for seed tuber production, establish a system for virus-free seed tuber production, demonstrate the advantages of clean seed to farmers on selected farms and organise training courses to improve crop management”.

Notes to editors

SCRI is partly funded by the Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate of the Scottish Government. It is one of five Main Research Providers that undertake research on the Scottish Government programmes of research in the areas of environment, agriculture and biology. See also KnowledgeScotland.

The Monsanto Fund was established in 1964, it is a non-profit corporation and a separate legal entity from Monsanto Company. It is organised exclusively for charitable purposes. Our focus in Africa is on improving the nutritional and economic wellbeing of communities through increased agricultural productivity.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560044 (direct line), Mobile: 07810 860 701 or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 562731 (switchboard).