KARI/DFID NARP II - Crop Protection Technical Report, May to October 1999

Abstract

This eighth and last Technical Report gives details of experimental work, supported by the Crop Protection program of KARI/DFID NARP II. The report covers the extension, or interim, period from May to October 1999. On-farm investigations were done by KARI scientists, organised in multidisciplinary teams and based at the regional centres of Muguga, Katumani and Njoro. Farmers and extension workers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing were active partners in the on-farm work. Work reported here is largely a continuation of efforts begun in 1995, though methodologies have been markedly changed to take account of farmers' inputs in technology generation and adaptation. Details of setting up of trials were given in previous Technical Reports. On-going work is usually split into distinct experiments that are completed after every rainy season, and so results can be presented annually for every experiment. Staff at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) in Nairobi worked on strategic problems facing Kenyan agriculture. Much of the work is in response to requests from the on-farm teams at the regional centres, for resources and expertise to meet knowledge gaps.