Food Crops Research Institute Annual Report 2022-2023

Abstract

FCRI is mandated to develop and promote staple food crops technologies in 47 counties of Kenya. The Institute has the national mandate for strategic research for pasture and fodder improvement and has developed the most popular pastures and fodders in Kenya such Napier grass, Rhodes grass, Nandi Setaria and Desmodium. Most other popular grasses in the tropics have their origins in Kitale. The maize programme develops maize varieties for medium and highland agro-ecological zones of Kenya. H614D is the most popular of the maize varieties developed in KALRO Kitale, contributing significantly to food security in the country. The regional mandate covers five counties (Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, Nandi and Keiyo-Marakwet) covering a total of 19 counties of diverse agro-ecology. The major agro- ecological zones (AEZs) in the mandate area include lower highlands (LH1 to LH3), upper midlands (UM4, UM4-5), and lower midlands (LM1 to LM5). The AEZs of LH3, LM5, UM4 and UM4-5 make up 76% of the agricultural land in the mandate region. The regional mandate area covers 1.8 million hectares, out of which 1.3 million hectares is agricultural land. The region has a population of over three million (current estimates). The Institute follows farming system approach to research, extension and training along the important product value chains in the region. This is an inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional approach which involves all relevant stakeholders and embraces participatory problem identification, research prioritization, planning, implementation and dissemination of improved technologies, innovations and better management practices along the product value chains. The regional programmes encompass adaptive research for all agricultural enterprises as prioritized by the regional agricultural stakeholders including priority setting and agricultural product value chain (APVC) situational analysis. The specific activities include; the varietal evaluation, agronomic management, protection and socio-economics of food crops, pasture and fodder, horticultural and industrial crops, livestock, natural resource management and value addition. The Institute’s research objective is to contribute to the realization of KALRO mission, particularly focusing on food security, poverty reduction, environmental conservation with the whole value chain perspective to technology development and delivery. The Institute recognizes the value of all stakeholders in agriculture and has strong linkage with ministries in Agricultural sector, non-government organization (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), farmer groups, provincial administration, seed companies, local, regional and international research institutions and donor agencies. The mechanisms ensuring outreach and partnerships with collaborators and clients include field days, agricultural society of Kenya shows, adaptive research, research-extension workshops, research output publications, farmer bulletins and leaflets, mass media documentaries, Stakeholder/innovation platform meetings where proposals, progress reports are presented by Institute scientists and feedback received from other stakeholders.