CABI Africa - Centre report - 2010

www.cabi.org

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

CABI Annual Report Africa 2010

CABI AnnuAl RepoRt

CABI improves

people’s lives

worldwide

by providing

information and

applying scientific

expertise to solve

problems in

agriculture and the

environment

www.cabi.org

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

© CAB International 2011. CAB International trading as CABI and recognized in the uK as an International organization as defined by the uK International organizations Act 1968 and formalized by Statutory Instrument 1982 no. 1071. CABI Head office, Wallingford, oxfordshire oX10 8De, united Kingdom.

this annual report was prepared by the staff of CABI Africa and covers activities in 2010. pictures are attributed to the photographers as far as is known and are by CABI staff unless specified.

Front cover photo – CABI Africa’s Martin Kimani and coffee farmers sharing experiences during a farmer field school in Rwanda (photo: n. phiri)

Inside front cover photo – CABI Africa’s Daniel Karanja explaining variations within a spider plant seed crop in a demonstration plot to AIV (African indigenous vegetable) growers in Siaya District, western Kenya (photo: CABI)

Citation details: CABI Africa (2011) CABI Annual Report, Africa 2010. CABI, nairobi, Kenya.

For copies of this report please contact CABI Africa, ICRAF Complex, united nations Avenue, Gigiri, po Box 633-0062, nairobi, Kenya or visit the CABI website www.cabi.org

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contentspreface 4

highlights 5

projects 11

developing the potential of gourmet coffee in togo and Gabon 11

increasing the resilience of coffee production to leaf rust and other diseases in India and four African countries 12

revitalization of the coffee sector in Africa 13

coffee rehabilitation in Angola 14

revival of the coffee subsector in Cameroon 15

improving cotton production efficiency in small-scale farming systems in Kenya and Mozambique 16

community based armyworm forecasting 17

safe and affordable armyworm control tools protecting crops against armyworm outbreaks in east Africa 18

tomato IpM for market access in tanzania 19

Good Seed Initiative: scaling out in Africa 20

scaling up farmer-led seed enterprises for sustained productivity and livelihoods in eastern and central Africa 21

improving access to neRICA quality seed through public–private partnership in uganda 22

bulking new varieties of kale seed in Kenya 23

promoting plant health systems in Kenya and Rwanda 24

developing aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa through knowledge dissemination and exchange: SARnISSA 25

FARA membership of the Invasive Species Compendium 26

removing barriers to invasive plant management in Africa 27

Centre of phytosanitary excellence: Cope 28

accelerated breeding of black rot resistant brassicas for the benefit of east African smallholders 29

crop protection in Africa 30

assessing the safety of groundnuts and groundnut products from major market outlets in Kenya 31

removing barriers to invasive species management in production and protection forests in Southeast Asia 32

mitigating the threat of invasive alien species in the Insular Caribbean 33

incursion prevention and management of coffee berry borer in papua new Guinea and Indonesia’s South Sulawesi and papua provinces 33

higher degrees 34

changes in aflatoxin prevalence along the maize value chain in Makueni, Kenya 34

publications, reports, presentations & training materials 35

CABI staff Africa 37

about CABI Africa 38

acronyms 40

contact CABI 44

4 CABI AnnuAl RepoRt

prefaceIt is my pleasure to share with you this first issue of the CABI Africa Annual Report. the year 2010 was very busy and rewarding for us at CABI Africa. the driving force behind our work is the need to enhance food security and protect biodiversity in order to ensure improved livelihoods for the majority of the African population who depend on agriculture. this is articulated in our mission ‘Improving people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.’

Since 1995 when the CABI Africa Regional Centre was established in nairobi, we have been working closely with the communities that we serve, to address the problems they face using sustainable approaches. We work in partnership with national and regional organizations in both member and non-member countries. our work includes helping smallholder commodity growers and traders in Africa to respond to commodity challenges thus enabling them to compete on the local and global markets. We also support the management of invasive species in agriculture, trade and the environment through conducting research, promoting education and capacity building, creating awareness and influencing policy development. Furthermore, we promote rural innovation through identifying barriers that hinder accessing and sharing of knowledge among stakeholders, and providing farmers, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders with the information that they need to make decisions and to lift people out of poverty.

I hope you will enjoy reading this centre annual report which provides you with a sense of the wide-ranging work that we have been involved in during 2010.

I take this opportunity to invite you to work with us in providing solutions to farming problems. together we can achieve our vision of ‘Food Security and prosperity throughout Africa’.

Morris Akiri, Regional Director, CABI Africa

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highlights of CABI Africa’s work during 2010During the year we worked on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the lives of smallholder farmers by providing them with solutions to farming problems, enabling them to adapt to improved ways of growing their crops, managing their environments and accessing markets. the year has been rewarding as we made good progress in implementing many research and development activities, including 22 projects and a number of consultancies. We also made concerted efforts to build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones through visits to partner institutions, organizing events such as scientific conferences, workshops and meetings, as well participating in events organized by our partners. In addition, we have stepped up our communication activities to ensure we reach more stakeholders. As a result, our work is becoming more widely known and we believe that our profile is improving. the highlights of our work are given below:

In January CABI Africa won a CABI Innovation Award for a project to bulk improved kale seed, which CABI and partners had developed during a previous project in 2005. Funds from the award have been used to bulk five indigenous kale varieties (dubbed CABI 1 – CABI 5). the aim is to make the improved seed varieties widely accessible. Meanwhile, in May 2010, the Kenya national Variety Release Committee authorized two of the five kale varieties, namely CABI 1 and CABI 4, to be officially released as varieties (Kinale and tosha, respectively). they were published in the Kenya Gazette and are the first locally developed varieties of kale to appear in the national list of varieties released in Kenya.

KepHIS officers confirming kale characteristics at the njabini KARI Sub-station (photo: D. Chacha)

In February the CABI Africa Director and eight CABI scientists attended the 7th east African Fine Coffees Conference and exhibition organized by the eastern African Fine Coffees Association (eAFCA) in Mombasa, Kenya. During the same event, CABI hosted the 6th Africa Coffee Scientific Conference under the theme ‘Adapting African coffee production systems to changing climate’. During this conference, CABI staff and partners shared progress on coffee research and development work, mainly covering the projects funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). they also discussed how best to shape the coffee research and development agenda in response to a changing climate. CABI organized an exhibition which showcased its information resources related to coffee.

A coffee extension worker explaining to a farmer how to transplant coffee seedlings into individual bags in Kwanza Sul, Angola (photo: G. oduor)

hig

hlig

hts


In March Daisy Cheptum, a graduate librarian who had been working with CABI Africa as an intern in publications management, handed over a database of CABI Africa publications to staff at the conclusion of her seven-month attachment period. the database with over 1400 records including reports, journals, books, maps, and audio and video files is now enabling staff to access far more easily a wide range of information including CABI Africa’s completed research projects, and information resources published by CABI or other partners.

In April we hosted a number of important partners including officials from the CFC and the Interchurch organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCo) (the netherlands). CFC has over the years provided funding for a number of CABI-led projects on improving coffee production, processing and marketing in several African countries, and is now funding a project on improving cotton production practices among small-scale farmers in Kenya and Mozambique.

Farmer participants at a farmer field school in Meconta District, Mozambique, discuss problems observed during scouting in a cotton crop (photo: D. Karanja)

In May CABI Africa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), hosted a conference entitled ‘Winning the War against Armyworms’. the conference, which took place in nairobi, was funded by the SADC (Southern African Development Community) ICARt (Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Research and training) programme and the DFID (uK Department for International Development) Research into use (Riu) programme. Delegates from six countries of east and southern Africa who attended the conference discussed new tools for forecasting armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) outbreaks using a community based approach which was developed by CABI and partners in Kenya, tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe. they also mapped the way forward in implementing lessons learnt through this approach. Currently, four African countries have access to forecasting tools for armyworms, voracious caterpillars that often wipe out cereal crops.

A community forecaster explains to her neighbours how armyworm forecasting works (photo: CABI)

During the same month, CABI launched a new plant health clinic programme in Africa. the goal is to provide farmers with regular and reliable access to advice that will help them to reduce costs and crop losses due to plant health problems. Farmers bring samples of their sick plants to the clinics, located in public places, and receive diagnosis and locally suitable recommendations on how to manage the problem. the programme launched in Kenya is also running in Rwanda, uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

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plant doctors at Katoloni CBo clinic, Machakos, eastern Kenya, attend to farmers (photo: p. Karanja)

CABI also participated in celebrations to mark International Biodiversity Day which took place at the un (united nations) campus in nairobi on 22 May 2010. CABI used the occasion to create awareness about the threat of invasive species in the region, at a stand that showcased various invasive plants.

Clearing mimosa in lochinvar national park, Zambia (photo: A. Witt)

In June Kimani Chege, a science journalist, joined CABI on a six-month internship programme. under the programme, Kimani has worked under the joint guidance of the Coordinator, Information and Communication for Development, CABI Africa, and the CABI Commercial Communications team to ensure coverage of CABI Africa’s work in the African media, among other things. the benefits have been a clear improvement in media coverage of CABI Africa’s work, especially on managing invasive species, armyworm forecasting, African indigenous vegetables (AIVs), and establishment of the Centre of phytosanitary excellence (Cope). We believe that the general public, research institutes and the donor community now know more about what we do.

Women clearing invasive parthenium weed during an awareness campaign in ethiopia (photo: A. Witt)


During the same month, CABI organized and co-facilitated, with the Kenya plant Health Inspectorate Services (KepHIS) and Cope, ClIMeX pest risk analysis workshops which were attended by 14 participants from 16 countries.

In July four CABI Africa staff participated in the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) African Agriculture Science Week held in ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Dr Roger Day hosted a side event on ‘Sanitary and phytosanitary Capacity Building – Strategies and plans’ in collaboration with the Common Market for eastern and Southern Africa (CoMeSA) and the un Food and Agriculture organization (FAo), while Dr George oduor presented CABI’s clinic programme during a side event on ‘Crop pests and pest outbreaks: prevention Better than Cure’, which was hosted by the uK’s Food and environment Research Agency (Fera). In addition, CABI showcased its information resources to hundreds of delegates who visited the CABI stall at the conference exhibition.

the Invasive Species Compendium: one of CABI’s information resources to support agriculture in Africa, which is being supported by FARA

In August several CABI Africa staff were involved in a number of partnership-building/proposal-development meetings including those with organizations such as the Fairtrade Foundation (uK and Africa) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In September the CABI Global Directors for Knowledge Management (KM) and Knowledge for Development (KfD) and one CABI Africa staff member paid a visit to the African Development Bank (AfDB) to explore opportunities for collaboration. Knowledge management was identified by AfDB as an area where CABI’s support would be required and CABI will be pursuing this opportunity in the coming months.

In October CABI Africa, in collaboration with KepHIS and the university of nairobi (uon), organized the launch of the Centre of phytosanitary excellence, Cope, an event that was attended by over 200 people representing various national and regional phytosanitary service providers, the private sector and training institutions. Cope is a result of a two-year collaborative project in which CABI was a partner together with various organizations including national plant protection organizations from eastern and southern Africa, the regional private sector horticultural organization, the InterAfrican phytosanitary Council (IApSC) of the African union (Au), the International plant protection Convention (IppC) and the netherlands plant protection Service (nppS). KepHIS and the uon were lead implementing partners in the project funded by the Standards and trade Development Facility (StDF).

participants at a field course run by Cope in Kenya (photo: J. Muthomi, university of nairobi)

CABI Africa held its annual strategic retreat at lukenya Getaway, nairobi, on 21–22 october. the meeting reviewed the CABI Africa Strategy, 2010–13 and discussed ways of making it operational.

During the same month, the CABI Africa Regional Director and four CABI scientists attended the 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science in Bali, Indonesia. During the conference staff shared their experiences on management of coffee pests and diseases such as coffee leaf rust (caused by Hemileia vastatrix), coffee wilt (Fusarium xylarioides) and coffee berry disease

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(Colletotrichum kahawae). After the conference CABI Africa, which coordinates the project on ‘Increasing the resilience of coffee production to leaf rust and other diseases in India and four African countries’, hosted an annual review and planning meeting for the project.

Sharing experiences at a farmer field school in Rwanda (photo: M. Kimani)

In october CABI Africa also won a grant of over uS$1,500,000 from CFC and Rabobank to implement a project entitled ‘Sustainable Credit Guarantee Scheme to promote Scaling up of enhanced Coffee processing practices in ethiopia and Rwanda’. the project, which is the first of its kind to be implemented by CABI, will be launched early in 2011. Its purpose is to enhance access by smallholder farmers to investment funds through a sustainable credit guarantee scheme. It is targeting primary cooperatives, unions and commercial farmers in the coffee zones of ethiopia and Rwanda.

November could easily be chosen as the most rewarding month for CABI Africa staff. Firstly, five CABI scientists participated in the 12th Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Biennial Conference where they shared their research findings through papers which they presented in a session on ‘empowering Smallholder Communities in Africa’ hosted by CABI. CABI also set up an exhibition booth where it showcased its information resources. the CABI booth attracted many visitors including Kenya’s Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kareke Mbiuki.

CABI’s Morris Akiri with the permanent Secretary, Ministry of environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Ali D. Mohamed, during the centenary celebrations (photo: CABI)

then, on 11 november, CABI Africa celebrated 100 years of CABI’s scientific endeavour at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Headquarters and the nairobi national park. the theme for the celebrations was ‘CABI: Managing Invasive Species Globally for 100 Years’. the function was jointly organized by CABI Africa and two partner institutions, namely KWS and KARI, and was attended by more than 100 guests who included staff of the three institutions, representatives from CABI’s technical partners, ambassadors and high commissioners of several CABI member countries, representatives of donor agencies and development partners, senior government representatives from the Ministry of environment and natural Resources and the national environment Management Authority, and over 30 journalists from several media houses. the main activities included: creating awareness about invasive species and their control in parts of nairobi national park; exhibitions showcasing CABI’s work and that of its partners; and a tree-planting session and a cocktail party. Mr Ali Mohammed, permanent Secretary, Ministry of environment and Mineral Resources, was the chief guest. this event was a great success and it is expected that awareness about CABI Africa’s work has improved as a result.

December is usually a very busy month and this year was no exception. Several staff wound up their planned activities for the year with visits to project sites in various African countries. Despite this, there was time to relax and reminisce over the events of the year on 10 December at a staff dinner held at the pizza Garden in Westlands, nairobi.

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developing the potential of gourmet coffee in Togo and GabonCoffee farmers in togo and Gabon have a strong tradition of producing coffee but they have suffered in recent years, in part from lack of government support. Most farmers are smallholders and coffee is their only crop. Following a world crisis in coffee prices in 2000–04, the quality and productivity of coffee dropped as farmers made cutbacks on inputs such as fertilizer or abandoned coffee production altogether, while some young people abandoned coffee farming and sought urban livelihoods. However, with demand for coffee on the rise again and countries such as India and China fast emerging as significant markets, the governments of togo and Gabon decided to invest in the coffee sector to boost the local economies and reverse the exodus of the past few years.

the objectives of this project are to improve productivity and quality of Robusta coffee in the two countries so it achieves the highly sought-after gourmet status – a market currently dominated by Arabica coffees – which will add value to coffee production.

the project team is providing guidance to farmers on methods of improved husbandry, harvesting and processing, working through farmer groups and associations. Gourmet coffee is a specialty coffee that has unique distinctiveness and flavours, and commands a price premium. through the project, the farmers will be empowered to produce high-quality sun-dried beans and washed beans to be sold in the gourmet markets of Japan, europe and the uSA. this is expected to lead to an increase in farmers’ incomes, improving the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers and their families, and ultimately to increase foreign exchange earnings for both togo and Gabon.

the team identified certain zones and farmer groups within them who are to be equipped and enabled to improve their coffee quality and production. Results in both countries so far are promising. the project has over 500 farmers enrolled in togo where production has increased ten-fold and 30% of produced beans are now of specialty bean status. twelve demonstration sites have been established to help in farmer training. Adequate numbers of quality seeds have been produced by establishing new nurseries and rehabilitating old ones, which is helping to reduce the problem of replanting with moribund seeds. In Gabon, thanks to a new government policy which is supporting coffee production, over 100 ha of coffee have been rehabilitated. In both countries, the project has established factories to enable quality control and build capacity of staff on quality evaluation. While the problem of in-country quality seed production was being solved, the project team facilitated the importation of quality seeds from Côte d’Ivoire. these seeds have been germinated and multiplied in large quantities to meet the countries’ large demand. Modern pulping equipment has been installed enabling both countries to produce quality coffee while protecting the environment. the provision of credit to farmers in the form of loans has also been organized. In addition, modern coffee processing machinery has been procured and will be installed for communal access by the farmers.

the project runs for a period of 50 months, from 1 november 2007 to 30 December 2011.

project manager: C. Agwanda ([email protected]). partners include Comité de Coordination pour les Filières Café et Cacao (CCFCC) in togo, Caisses de Stabilisation et de péréquation (CAIStAB) in Gabon, and Federation nationale des exportateurs et producteurs de Café et Cacao in Guinea. Funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC).

training session for staff from Gabon and togo on how to perform sensory and organoleptic assessment of coffee quality, facilitated by experts from the Coffee Quality Institute (photo: C. Agwanda)

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ject

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increasing the resilience of coffee production to leaf rust and other diseases in India and four African countriesthe coffee industry is important to the economies of India and various African countries. Many coffee farmers are small-scale growers who have to deal with a range of constraints, including coffee diseases. Coffee leaf rust (caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix) is among the most serious diseases affecting quantity and quality, causing yield losses of 30–60%, and even higher in some years; in severe cases, the disease can kill coffee trees. Coffee leaf rust has many races, thus complicating its control, and most African countries do not have up-to-date information on what races are present. Fungicides could help reduce the disease damage but small-scale farmers cannot afford to use them, and they can, in any case, have adverse environmental impacts.

CABI is implementing a project (2008–12) in India, Kenya, Rwanda, uganda and Zimbabwe, which aims to reduce losses from the disease. Surveys carried out to assess the magnitude and impact of coffee leaf rust showed that the disease is widespread (in Rwanda it was found on 85% of surveyed farms), and almost all coffee varieties are susceptible to it. Although countries such as Kenya have a resistant variety, it was apparent that most coffee being grown in the countries is susceptible to coffee leaf rust. use of fungicide was almost zero. Moreover, conservation of existing coffee varieties was found to be inadequate.

two varieties found resistant to coffee leaf rust in India, a country with most coffee leaf rust races, were evaluated in the laboratory and in the field in Kenya, Zimbabwe, uganda and Rwanda for resistance to coffee leaf rust and also coffee berry disease (CBD; caused by Colletotrichum kahawae), which is not found in India. Results from the first two years’ evaluations show high resistance to coffee leaf rust and a reasonable degree of resistance to CBD for both Indian varieties in Africa. A bonus result from field studies in Kenya is that one of the introduced varieties, Robarbica, seems to be resistant to bacterial blight of coffee (BBC), although this needs confirmation through laboratory studies. Studies on coffee leaf rust races revealed a range of previously unknown races in Africa and India, some of which are breaking down the resistance of previously resistant coffee varieties, such as Catimor F6 in Zimbabwe. the information generated is invaluable for developing durable resistance in the participating countries. However, some countries have races not found in other countries, and thus there is an urgent need to institute effective quarantine measures.

other activities under the project include reviving and maintaining field gene banks, and refurbishing and strengthening nursery and coffee seed production facilities. Farmer field schools were established as a means of providing farmers with information on controlling coffee leaf rust and other diseases, and on good coffee management; a website was also created for this purpose.

project manager: N. Phiri ([email protected]) in collaboration with the Central Coffee Research Institute of India’s Coffee Board, Kenya’s Coffee Research Foundation, Rwanda’s Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR), uganda’s Coffee Research Centre (CoReC) of the national Crops Resources Research Institute (naCRRI), an institute of the national Agriculture Research organisation (nARo), and Zimbabwe’s Chipinge Coffee Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture. Funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) with co-financing from the governments of India, Kenya, Rwanda, uganda and Zimbabwe. the International Coffee organization (ICo) is the supervising body.

Sharing experiences at a farmer field school in Rwanda (photo: M. Kimani)

A young healthy coffee bush at a Rural Agricultural training Centre in

Kenya (photo: n. phiri)

A coffee bush defoliated by coffee leaf rust in Rwanda (photo: n. phiri)

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revitalization of the coffee sector in AfricaAfrica’s share of global coffee production has been declining since the 1970s. there is a need to address this decline, and increase the income of farmers and other stakeholders in the coffee sector. this 18-month project, which aimed to kick-start the process of revitalizing the competitiveness of African coffee through the development and promotion of efficient value chains, ended this year. undertaken in nine pilot countries – Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, liberia, nigeria, tanzania, Sierra leone and Zimbabwe – the purposes of the project were to identify key constraints in each country’s coffee sector, to build with the stakeholders a shared vision for the future, and to develop a strategic plan to achieve the agreed objectives.

Staff from relevant public and private sector partners undertook value chain analyses in the coffee sectors and interviewed stakeholders including farmers, processors, marketers, farmer-group leaders, service providers (banks, input suppliers, extension and research institutions, etc.) and policy makers. Results from the interviews were analysed, compiled and discussed, and validated at national multi-stakeholder workshops in the respective countries and, using the results, country visions for the coffee sector were agreed upon and development plans on how to achieve the visions formulated. the consolidated findings from the pilot countries were presented at international fora including the Inter African Coffee organization (IACo) General Assembly and the eastern African Fine Coffees Association conference.

A final technical report which also identified the priority constraints to the coffee sector in Africa was compiled. the other product of the project was a comprehensive proposal for a programme composed of a number of projects, each of which addresses some of the identified priority constraints. these projects cover areas such as sustainable productivity, enhancing coffee quality, rehabilitation of the coffee sector, improved marketing and diversification as well as adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

project manager: G. Oduor ([email protected]). partners were CafeAfrica and the relevant ministries in the nine participating countries. Funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), through IACo.

participants who attended the multi-stakeholder workshop to discuss and validate the findings of the value chain analysis and subsequently develop a vision for the coffee sector in Zimbabwe (photo: G. oduor)


coffee rehabilitation in AngolaBefore the civil war that began in 1975, Angola was the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world, exporting over 240,000 tonnes of coffee per year at its peak and providing livelihoods for a large proportion of Angola’s population. However, many coffee estates were abandoned as people fled their homes for safety and the industry was left in a poor state of decline in the years following the end of civil strife in 2002. As a result, Angola’s coffee production has dropped and the industry is in need of rejuvenation to provide income to its population.

the first phase of this project, which ended in March 2009, saw displaced farming families re-settled on abandoned land and given basic tools, knowledge and equipment to establish housing and agriculture. they were also assisted in weeding, replanting and fertilizing their land with the goal of attaining yields of 350 kg/ha.

the project was extended to March 2011, and in this new phase over one million coffee seedlings were transplanted from nurseries into the field at a spacing of 2 × 2 m, which rehabilitated over 400 ha of coffee, and over 2400 ha of coffee were pruned. the success of ten extension staff-managed demonstration plots has been proved as many farmers started pruning and weeding their coffee once they had visited the plots and seen the positive effect of such practices on yield and general plant growth.

the 4917 farmers participating in the project have been organized into 518 solidarity groups, 101 associations and 13 legal and registered cooperatives. It is through these farmers’ groups that microcredit of over uS$2.3 million was channelled. up to 70 farmers’ cooperatives and associations have started harvesting coffee, i.e. the first harvest from coffee seedlings planted during the project. over 300 tonnes of coffee was hulled and marketed from the project area in 2010. Construction and use of proper patios for drying coffee by 2011 will further improve the quality of coffee.

the construction of four schools and a health post has been completed and the local community is very happy.

the coffee varietal trial at the Instituto nacional do Café (InCA) Gabela station is progressing well and data collection has commenced. over 80 extension staff have been trained in good agricultural practices (GAp) and two InCA staff were trained in Brazil in coffee classification and grading.

project manager: G. Oduor ([email protected]). partners are InCA, Angola, a local bank, Banco de poupança e Crédito (BpC), and the Cooperative league of the uSA (CluSA). Funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and the Government of Angola.

A coffee extension worker explaining to a farmer how to transplant coffee seedlings into individual bags in Kwanza Sul, Angola (photo: G. oduor)

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revival of the coffee subsector in Cameroonproduction of coffee in Cameroon has been declining, dropping from 90,000 tonnes in the early 1990s to about 35,000 tonnes in 2009. At the same time quality, which depends on good agricultural practices (GAp), has also declined. In 2009, the Government of Cameroon adopted a national strategic plan for coffee with the help of the Geneva-based International trade Centre. this plan lays strong emphasis on value and quality addition through wet processing of coffee. Consequently, the World Bank commissioned a study on the subject under the european union (eu) All ACp Agricultural Commodities programme (AAACp).

With funding from World Bank, CABI is providing technical assistance to support introduction of coffee washing stations (CWS), also known as central processing units, in four pilot areas in Cameroon. the project is part of Cameroon’s programme d’Appui et de Competitive Agricole (pACA). the marketing of the newly produced Arabica and Robusta coffee will be supported by the International trade Centre.

to ensure that CWS act as a tool to enhance coffee quality, technical support is required to identify appropriate ecological coffee pulping equipment. the project team activities include: (i) providing technical support for the purchase of the equipment; (ii) setting up and supporting a project steering committee; (iii) conducting preliminary studies; (iv) training support staff in operating CWS; and (v) dissemination of project results and lessons.

In 2010, project steering committees were established, and preliminary studies were conducted in preparation for setting up CWS in the four locations in Cameroon. the pilot sites have been selected and socioeconomic baseline studies conducted. the project team has also provided technical assistance to facilitate the purchase of project equipment, both imported machinery and locally procured parts, and the installation of the machines.

the project runs from 21 June 2010 to 31 December 2011.

project manager: C. Agwanda ([email protected]). our partner is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cameroon. Funded by the World Bank.

A farmer displaying a sample of high-quality parchment coffee produced in Cameroon using ecological pulping machines (photo: C. Agwanda)


improving cotton production efficiency in small-scale farming systems in Kenya and MozambiqueMany rural farmers in Kenya and Mozambique grow cotton as a cash crop, which has the potential to provide them with a route out of poverty. For a number of reasons – low quality seed, poor land preparation, inadequate pest control – yields are not what they could be. Much of this poor crop management is due to lack of farmer knowledge and inadequate technical support. As a result, many farmers are moving away from cotton farming. Much research has been carried out, but few crop management techniques suggested by researchers have been adopted by farmers, and full advantage has not been taken of new seed varieties.

the project team is working across the cotton value chain to identify key issues and constraints and provide tools and know-how to resolve them. the expected benefits include: an increase in yield of seed cotton amounting to at least 50% of what is currently achieved under research trials and at least a 30% increase in incomes; improved links between farmers and the private and public sectors; and improved farmer and environmental health through reducing inorganic pesticide use by 50%. the project started operations with an inception workshop held in Maputo, Mozambique, on 24–26 november 2009 and will run until 31 December 2013.

A baseline survey comprising a total of 300 households was completed in July 2010 in the target project sites in Kenya (tharaka South, Kitui Central, Kathonzweni, lamu West, tana Delta and Baringo north districts). Similarly, a situation analysis comprising a total of 364 households in the target districts in Sofala (Chemba, Maringue and Caia) and nampula (Mecuburi, Monapo and Meconta), and for a comparison group (Gorongosa and Muecate districts), was completed in August 2010 in Mozambique.

Following a needs assessment, a training curriculum for trainers/farmers on cotton integrated crop management (ICM) was developed for both Kenya and Mozambique and will be continuously updated during the season-long farmers’ training. A training of trainers course (tot) for farmer field school (FFS) facilitators from the six target districts in each country was conducted from September to november 2010. Validation and establishment of 15 FFS (with a total of 408 farmers) in tharaka South, Kitui Central and Kathonzweni districts was done in September 2010 in readiness for planting in october 2010. the validation and establishment of five FFS and agro-ecosystem analysis (AeSA) in each of the six target districts in Mozambique is ongoing. In addition, an evaluation of existing and potential systems for delivery of inputs and technical support to cotton farmers in the pilot districts in both Kenya and Mozambique is ongoing.

project manager: D. Karanja ([email protected]). project implementing agencies (pIAs) are the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the Instituto do Algodão de Moçambique (IAM). Collaborating institutes include the Cotton Development Authority (CoDA), Kenya, and the Instituto Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM). the project was developed in close consultation with the International Cotton Advisory Committee, which acts as the project’s supervisory body, as per Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) policy. Funded by the CFC and the european union (eu) (through its All ACp Agricultural Commodities programme; AAACp) with in-kind contribution from the governments of Kenya and Mozambique, and CABI.

Farmer field school at Kitui, Central province, Kenya (photo: D. Karanja)

Farmer field school in Meconta District, Mozambique: scouting for

cotton pests (photo: D. Karanja)

Displaying some pests collected during scouting in the cotton crop

(photo: D. Karanja)

And discussing the problems observed on the cotton crop after

scouting (photo: D. Karanja)

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community based armyworm forecasting Farmers’ crops in eastern and southern Africa are periodically devastated by armyworms (Spodoptera exempta) which appear in great numbers and attack cereal crops and pasture. the adult moths’ migration routes can be predicted and national forecasting systems warn of possible outbreaks. However, localized attacks and communication difficulties mean messages do not always reach communities under imminent threat. this project is concerned with establishing community based armyworm forecasting (CBAF) in tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

In this the final year of the project, CBAF was started in a further 157 villages, bringing the total number of communities in which it has been implemented during the project to 144 in tanzania, 85 in Malawi and 49 in Zimbabwe. three other areas of work were addressed this year, all aimed at responding to demand for broader application of CBAF: building the basis for continued scaling-out; evaluation of the components of CBAF and overall achievements; and fostering awareness and support amongst policy level decision makers.

When first piloted, national armyworm units mobilized and trained communities on how to operate a pheromone trap for forecasting armyworm outbreaks. But in most of the new villages starting CBAF this year, trained trainers (usually district level agricultural staff) were responsible. to support such training of trainers and their training of communities, a CBAF training manual was produced. Another scaling-out model was also tested this year in which previously trained farmer forecasters train their colleagues in a neighbouring village. early results suggest that this approach is cheaper, but possibly less effective.

Decision makers’ awareness of CBAF was fostered in various ways, including use of the mass media, seminars for policy makers, and production of policy briefs and other publicity materials. CBAF was presented to the Council of Ministers of the International Red locust Control organisation for Central and Southern Africa (IRlCo-CSA) in Maputo, Mozambique, and at an FAo regional meeting on ‘emergency pest preparedness’ in lusaka, Zambia. A well-attended regional conference entitled ‘Winning the War against Armyworms’ was held in nairobi, Kenya, in conjunction with a new project.

In tanzania CBAF has been adopted as a national strategy, and district authorities are now including it in their budgets.

Studies were conducted to evaluate different aspects of CBAF. outcome mapping was used to assess the changes of behaviour of the different actors involved in armyworm forecasting and control. the accuracy of the forecasting rules was reviewed, and found to be robust, though the use of rainfall data does not greatly improve accuracy. economic analysis showed that CBAF is highly profitable at the village level, and as a national strategy produces a positive net present value in a wide range of situations. An externally commissioned evaluation found that the project had achieved or exceeded most of its targets.

project manager: R. Day ([email protected]). partners are the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, pesticides Control Board, Malawi; the Ministry of Agriculture, plant protection Research Institute, Zimbabwe; the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFSC), plant Health Services, tanzania; the natural Resources Institute (nRI), university of Greenwich, uK; and the Agricultural Research Council, pretoria, South Africa. Funded by the 9th european Development Fund through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Research and training (ICARt) programme.

A farmer forecaster in Malawi with his forecasting equipment (photo: CABI)

A community forecaster in Zimbabwe calculates the weekly forecast (photo: G. Chikwenhere, plant protection Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Zimbabwe)

A community forecaster explains to her neighbours how forecasting works (photo: CABI)


safe and affordable armyworm control tools protecting crops against armyworm outbreaks in East Africathe African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) is a particularly devastating pest. large numbers of the voracious black caterpillars appear suddenly, leaving crops and pasture devastated in their wake. As the outbreaks are difficult to predict, they catch farmers unaware and unprepared. If uncontrolled, they can cause total crop loss, with millions of hectares affected in bad years.

the worst affected countries are tanzania and Kenya, which together grow over seven million hectares of cereals, mainly maize. In both countries, as many as two million farmers are at risk of armyworm attacks and many are ill-equipped to cope.

the scale and distribution of armyworm outbreaks has led the governments of tanzania, Kenya and other countries to take responsibility for the problem through outbreak forecasting and subsidized control. understanding the insect allows scientists to make broad predictions of which areas might expect outbreaks in the coming fortnight, but while such forecasts are useful for national planning, they are of little or no value to individual farmers. Governments often have insufficient capacity for timely control, stockpiling is an issue, and insecticides are expensive and damaging to the environment.

Research and development of tools to provide safe, affordable and practical protection from armyworm outbreaks have been carried out, but only recently have they been validated and become ready for commercialization and widespread use.

to date, a training of trainers course (tot) has been conducted for 32 agricultural extension officers in the eastern and Coast provinces of Kenya. these newly qualified trainers have since trained 320 community members, who include frontline extension officers and assistant chiefs, in community based armyworm forecasting (CBAF) in Kenya. Forecasting at community level is being conducted in 80 sub-locations in Kenya. In tanzania, six agricultural extension officers and six plant protection officers have been trained through a tot. these officers have in turn trained 160 community members, who include 80 farmers, 40 village executives and 40 village agricultural extension officers. CBAF is being conducted in 40 villages in tanzania.

the project has also generated the following documents:

• Registration requirements for a semiochemical pest control product

• Summary form for data on semiochemicals

• efficacy evaluation protocol for semiochemicals

• procedure for introduction of straight-chain lepidopteran pheromones for monitoring

the project runs from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2011.

project manager: R. Musebe ([email protected]). partners include the Desert locust Control organization for eastern Africa and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD), ethiopia; the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the pest Control products Board (pCpB) and Juanco SpS, Kenya; the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFSC), the tropical pesticides Research Institute (tpRI), Bajuta International and eco Agri Consultancy Services ltd, tanzania; and lancaster university and the natural Resources Institute (nRI), uK. Funded by the uK Department for International Development (DFID) Research into use programme (Riu).

Agricultural extension officers discussing pheromone traps – how to set them, best location, contents and use – at Machakos Agricultural

training Centre, Kenya, during a training of trainers course

(photo: R. Musebe)

19AFRICA CentRe

tomato IPM for market access in TanzaniaCABI Africa and HoRtI-tengeru (national Horticulture Research and training Institute, tengeru, tanzania) are collaborating on a project that targets improving production of IpM tomatoes and producer access to markets. the project aims at addressing IpM (integrated pest management) needs of tomato farmers and seeking more sustainable pest management measures and a reduction in pesticide misuse. this project has converted IpM tomato farmer field schools (FFS) into producer clubs where tomato production is treated as a business. At the same time the initial FFS have been registered and are therefore recognized by the government and other organizations. the official registration of the producer clubs allows them to source funds from stakeholders interested in supporting the production of tomatoes. this in essence means that besides the use of land as collateral, group collateral may also be used. the project has seven active producer clubs; namely Faru, upeneema, Kimbima, Kiwanyamu, nguvukazi, Kivululu and nduruma. the expected outcomes of the project include: (i) development of IpM approaches which will reduce over-reliance on pesticides and the associated risks to farmers and the environment, and adaptation of validated sustainable pest management solutions to local conditions and beneficiaries’ needs; (ii) implementation and adaptation of suitable IpM measures that provide farmers with economically viable and sustainable alternatives to hazardous pesticides on a field and/or policy level; and (iii) building of local knowledge and capacity for the proper use of natural resources and the necessary technical skills for the development and dissemination of alternative IpM measures.

project planning was conducted in a participatory way and the yearly plan of operation finalized, focusing on partners’ responsibilities and taking into account all tomato IpM related outcomes and experiences of the first project phase. Seven FFS groups were transformed to IpM vegetable producer clubs of farmers using only IpM practices as learnt in the project phase 1 and defined in the IpM technical guidelines.

IpM technical guidelines for tomato production in farmer groups were developed and implemented. IpM product information cards were developed for the IpM tomatoes produced and sold by farmers, which allowed them to advertise their product, and allowed buyers to re-trace how tomatoes were produced, by whom and when. there was establishment of buyer–farmer relationships through contractual agreements, agreements on tomato product requirements from the market side and on requirements from the IpM practice side. Awareness of the IpM tomato product was increased through advertising the product at field days and agricultural shows and through regular delivery to markets.

the project started in April 2008 and is expected to end in April 2011.

project manager: M. Kimani ([email protected]). partners include the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFSC), tanzania and HoRtI-tengeru. Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

IpM producer club member in tanzania displays a bumper harvest of tomatoes, grown using IpM methods, ready for the market (photo: M. Kimani)

Farmers inspect a tomato farm in tanzania. the tomatoes are grown using IpM methods (photo: M. Kimani)


Good Seed Initiative: scaling out in Africatraditionally in sub-Saharan Africa, 80–90% of smallholder farmers recycle seeds from previous harvests to sow next season. Seed they have either saved or acquired from friends and extended family networks is readily available and affordable, but may give poor yields owing to poor selection and storage practices. the Good Seed Initiative focuses on improving the livelihoods of food-insecure farming households through the production, selection and marketing of high-quality, farmer-saved seed. the project started on 1 April 2008 and runs till 30 March 2010. the Africa component of the project is being implemented in uganda and tanzania.

In uganda, where there are two growing seasons a year, the focus has been on neRICA rice (new Rice for Africa). the project team has been working with women (mainly widows) in post-conflict northern uganda (lira District) and both men and women in Masindi District in the mid-west of the country. Good seed-saving techniques are being shared over the radio and through training courses on the production and marketing of high quality neRICA rice seed. the emphasis is on increasing farmers’ profit from seed production by reducing labour and external input costs. A further aim is to strengthen farmer groups to ensure that they obtain a fair price for their seed. In the early 2010 season (March to July), 24 farmers in Masindi District and eight farmer ‘trainer of trainers’ (representing each group of 25 farmers) in lira District were trained on rice seed husbandry practices. Furthermore, eight 0.2-ha demonstration plots were planted in eight parishes in the districts. the demonstration plots produced over 3000 kg of seed, which was used to plant in the late 2010 season. In Masindi, 2.8 ha were planted by nine farmers (three women and six men). For the 2010 late-season crop, 17 ha have been planted by 26 farmers (six female and 20 male farmers).

In tanzania, the objectives are to clean up smut-infected sorghum and maize seed and create markets for both sorghum seed and sorghum grain for farmers in Kongwa District. During the 2009/10 cropping season, 178 farmers from ten villages planted additional sorghum with the aim of producing surplus grain which could be sold to the Darbrew Brewery in Dar es Salaam. the farmers experienced a significant crop failure: floods damaged much of the early-planted sorghum, and droughts later in the season damaged what remained of the crop. even the long-season local land race (lugugu) did not mature well because of the drought. A few farmers, who had planted the short-season varieties somewhat earlier than normal, were able to harvest some grain, but at quantities insufficient to sell to the brewery.

project manager: D. Karanja ([email protected]). partners include the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) at uyole and Hombolo, tanzania, and the national Crops Resources Research Institute (naCRRI), an institute of the national Agriculture Research organisation (nARo), uganda. Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Weeding a neRICA rice seed crop in lira District, northern uganda (photo: D. Karanja)

Sorghum crop after floods at Ibwaga village, Kongwa District, tanzania

(photo: D. Karanja)

Sorghum grain harvested from an infected crop heavily contaminated

with smut spores after threshing (photo: D. Karanja)

21AFRICA CentRe

scaling up farmer-led seed enterprises for sustained productivity and livelihoods in eastern and central AfricaAfrican indigenous vegetables (AIVs) are traditionally a significant contributor to food security and nutrition for east African smallholder farmers. However, the potential to meet the growing demand for AIVs is limited by the availability of good quality seed. this project, which started on 1 December 2009 and ends on 30 June 2012, seeks to generate evidence-based and rigorously analysed conceptual models for economically viable and sustainable farmer-led seed enterprises (FlSes) on AIVs. the target seed crops include African nightshade (Solanum spp.), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), sunhemp (Crotalaria spp.), spider plant (Cleome gynandra), jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) and African eggplant (Solanum spp.).

three FlSe models selected through a participatory process are being validated in Kenya and tanzania. After completing a situation analysis and needs assessment, a training curriculum for the FlSes was developed. training of trainers courses (tots) for 19 (40% women) and ten (30% women) farmers’ trainers have been completed in Kenya and tanzania, respectively. the season-long farmers’ (seed growers’) training by the tot graduates working with local community-based organizations (CBos) in four districts (Siaya, Bondo, Kisumu and Butere/Mumias) and seed companies in another four districts (namache, londo, Kimaet and Malakisi) in Kenya is ongoing. In tanzania, the season-long farmers’ training is being conducted by the tot graduates in two regions: Arusha (nduruma, Mlangarini, Kikwe and Maweni villages) and Dodoma (ng’humbi, Mang’hweta, tubugwe, tambi and Mbori villages).

project partners organized exhibitions at Kisumu and Bungoma Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) shows and at a World Food Day event in Siaya to raise awareness of project activities in Kenya. In tanzania, this was done through a seed fair and the nane nane (8 August public holiday) agricultural show and field day. project staff have also given a number of interviews on local radio shows (QfM) and in print media including the newspapers Business Daily and Science Africa in Kenya, and The Guardian and Nipashe in tanzania to highlight project activities.

project manager: D. Karanja ([email protected]). partners are the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), the Kenya Seed Company and the technology Adoption through Research organization (tAtRo) in Kenya; the Horticultural Research and training Institute, tengeru (HoRtI-tengeru), Inades-Formation tanzania and the tanzania official Seed Certification Institute (toSCI) in tanzania; and the World Vegetable Centre – Regional Centre for Africa (AVRDC-RCA). Funded by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in eastern and Central Africa (ASAReCA) Multi Donor trust Fund (MDtF).

trained farmer in Kisumu District, western Kenya, now an AIV seed grower working under tAtRo (photo: D. Karanja)

trained farmer in Malakisi, Bungoma District, western Kenya, congratulated on becoming an AIV seed grower contracted by the Kenya Seed Company (photo: D. Karanja)

Describing variations within a spider plant seed crop in a demonstration plot, Siaya District, western Kenya (photo: CABI)


improving access to NERICA quality seed through public–private partnership in Uganda Growing rice can reduce hunger and poverty. In uganda, it has the potential to boost incomes of the rural poor, provide livelihoods for those returning after the war, and reduce the need for imports. understandably, the government is keen to boost its production. Rice is relatively new to uganda, but consumption is already outstripping production and the shortfall is being met by importing rice; with a growing population, demand is likely to increase. neRICA rice (new Rice for Africa) – with its high yields and ability to withstand dry conditions – is already in use throughout the country, but farmers are hampered by low availability and poor quality of seed.

Demand for neRICA seed is often so high that rice harvested as grain is sold as seed, a practice that leads to poor quality grain production and dissatisfied farmers. private sector companies trading in neRICA seed are working with smallholder growers to produce seed, but do not have the capacity to provide adequate training for farmers to ensure they deliver a high quality product, or the ability to expand numbers of smallholder seed growers. As a result, farmers are failing to deliver both volume and quality, forcing companies to accept seed purities lower than the 98% specified standard. this has led the national Crops Resources Research Institute (naCRRI) of uganda’s national Agriculture Research organisation (nARo) to sell its seed at a subsidized rate to seed companies because of the uncertainties they face during the bulking stage.

A project to support the production and delivery of high quality neRICA seed by local companies was initiated in January 2010 (running until June 2011) as a partnership between CABI and naCRRI with the aim of (i) increasing naCRRI’s capacity for basic seed production to 5 tonnes/year; (ii) increasing the capacity of targeted seed companies to produce 1400 tonnes/year by establishing functional linkages with out-growers; and (iii) stabilizing demand for neRICA seed.

During 2010, training of trainers from two seed companies participating in the project, the nalweyo Seed Company (nASeCo) and the Centre for Agriculture Inputs International (CAII), was carried out. these trainers are now training farmer group leaders in good neRICA seed production techniques. So far, 350 farmers in eastern districts producing rice for CAII and over 60 contract farmers from nASeCo in mid-western uganda have been trained. In addition four rice seed production videos were produced, which are being used not only by the project team but by several rice stakeholders in uganda including the national Agriculture Advisory Services (nAADS), the country’s main agriculture extension body. A manual on rice seed production has also been produced. Moreover, radio programmes being aired in uganda are creating awareness about neRICA rice. A third seed company is now being brought into the project in order to increase the number of farmers producing and planting certified seed. this move is aimed at supporting seed companies to produce and deliver large volumes of improved quality seed to approximately 100,000 smallholder rice producers.

project manager: N. Phiri ([email protected]) in partnership with naCRRI, CAII and nASeCo. Funded by the uK Department for International Development (DFID) Research into use programme (Riu).

Certified neRICA rice seed garden in uganda (photo: n. phiri)

Certified neRICA rice seed grower in eastern uganda (photo: n. phiri)

neRICA rice field in uganda (photo: n. phiri)

partners, donor and CABI staff discussing neRICA rice seed production in a farmer’s field in uganda (photo: n. phiri)

23AFRICA CentRe

bulking new varieties of kale seed in KenyaVegetables are grown by over 90% of Kenyan smallholders with kale (‘sukuma wiki’; a Brassica oleracea cultivar) being the most important by area (23,000 ha) and production (320,000 tonnes). Kale is rich in a range of nutrients including iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K and carotenoids, is grown for home consumption and provides opportunities for income generation through sales to urban centres.

Farmers prefer to grow varieties that are productive, late-flowering, and resistant to bacterial black rot, as well as having good market characteristics (large, dark-green leaves). Common commercial varieties do not provide the desired characteristics, and in lari Division (Kiambu District), farmers grow their own landraces, which are in high demand by other farmers. unfortunately at prime locations such as Kinale, the kale landraces are so mixed that it is almost impossible to get good quality seed from them.

CABI and partners facilitated the ‘cleaning up’ of the Kinale kale and initiated the formal registration and release process of five new varieties (dubbed CABI 1 – CABI 5) from 24 farmer landraces. In 2005, the five lines were submitted to the Kenya plant Health Inspectorate Services (KepHIS) for confirmation that they are distinct, uniform and stable (DuS).

In preparation for establishment of a farmer-led seed enterprise (FlSe) to produce and market the improved kale seeds, multiplication plots were established (in January/February 2010) at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Sub-station at njabini (nyandarua District) to provide large quantities of starter (basic) seed using the CABI Innovation Fund. the project will run till June 2011.

the site has suitable climatic conditions for kale seed production. Seedlings of the five CABI-selected lines of kale were raised in nurseries and transplanted into separate screen houses in March 2010. the kale plants started bolting and flowering from the first week of September 2010. Colonized beehives were introduced into the screen houses to facilitate pollination.

the seed crops are being managed using the recommended agronomic practices for seed production. By the end of September 2010, two inspections by inspectors from KepHIS had already been conducted. A third inspection was done in october 2010 at the 50% flowering stage. on attaining physiological maturity, the seeds will be harvested and processed in December 2010/January 2011.

In May 2010, the Kenya national Variety Release Committee authorized CABI 1 and CABI 4 to be officially released as varieties (named Kinale and tosha, respectively) and this was published in the Kenyan Gazette. these are the first locally developed varieties of kale to appear in the national list of varieties released in Kenya.

the current innovation provides an opportunity for turning indigenous technical knowledge, embodied in registered seed varieties, into a widely available technology which brings benefit as a seed enterprise that satisfies the need and demand for the type of kale that farmers want to grow.

project manager: N. Phiri ([email protected]). partners are KepHIS, KARI and lagrotech, Kenya. Funded by the CABI Innovation Fund.

KepHIS officers confirming kale characteristics at the njabini KARI Sub-station (photo: D. Chacha)

the kale plants in one of the screen houses (photo: D. Chacha)


promoting plant health systems in Kenya and Rwanda African farm families lose a significant proportion of their produce to pests and diseases, putting their food security and livelihoods at stake. plantwise, an initiative of partner organizations led by CABI, which runs plant clinics in several countries of Africa, Asia and latin America, is designed to assist farmers with the wide range of problems they face on multiple crops. plant health clinics operate in public places, accept any crop problem, and are open to all farmers who bring samples of their sick plants to the clinics; there they receive diagnosis and locally suitable recommendations on how to manage the problem. the clinics are run by agronomists or extensionists from various local organizations who are trained in field diagnosis of common plant health problems.

promising results and achievements from the previous plant clinics in some countries, including uganda, DR Congo and Sierra leone where clinics have been running since 2005/06, have led to activities to support establishment of new plant health clinic schemes in Kenya and Rwanda. In Kenya, a meeting was held in June with staff from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), the Kenya plant Health Inspectorate Services (KepHIS) and a number of nGos to explore who would be interested in running clinics. Following this meeting a training session was held and CABI staff worked intensively with people wanting to run clinics. As a result 17 plant clinics have become operational in seven districts of central Kenya, run by various governmental, community-based and private organizations. Most are run by government staff who already visit public places regularly as part of the MoA information desk initiative and who now incorporate plant clinic approaches and materials. Four permanent plant clinics are also run in two districts of western Kenya, building on earlier initiatives. thousands of farmers have visited clinics with numerous plant health problems and received advice from them.

In Rwanda, the national university of Rwanda (nuR) has been using clinics as part of student training since 2009, following earlier CABI visits. In 2010 CABI representatives met with more Rwandan partners to plan a larger scale-up. the government agreed that plant clinics should be operated by RADA (Rwanda Agriculture Development Authority) with technical and diagnostic backstopping from ISAR (Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda). A plant doctor training course was held to introduce government officials to the concept. now, training courses are planned for early 2011 for RADA and nGo field staff.

So far, encouraging signs have been seen from linking and integrating plant health activities into the existing activities of organizations. plans are underway to work with stakeholders to find ways to strengthen links between plant clinics and reliable sources of technical expertise, agro-dealers and diagnostic laboratories, so as to support effective and sustainable plant health services. the initiative also seeks to work with national plant protection organizations to explore how information from the clinic records could serve as an early warning system highlighting where new pests or diseases seem to be emerging.

project manager: Negussie, E. ([email protected]). partners include CABI, MoA, KARI, KepHIS, Katoloni, Dajopen and Kilili Self Help in Kenya and, to date, ISAR, RADA and nuR in Rwanda. CABI funded by the uK Department for International Development (DFID), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

plants doctors attending to farmers at a clinic in embu market, central Kenya (photo: p. Karanja)

plant doctors at Kapkoi market in Kitale, Kenya, busy attending to

farmers (photos: p. Karanja)

25AFRICA CentRe

developing aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa through knowledge dissemination and exchange: SARNISSA the project ‘Sustainable Aquaculture Research networks in Sub Saharan Africa’ (SARnISSA) started in February 2008. led by a consortium of eight partners from Africa, Asia and europe and coordinated by the university of Stirling, uK, the aim is to benefit countries of sub-Saharan Africa by facilitating cross-border collaborations and the collation, sharing and communication of aquaculture information.

taking a multi-pronged attack and breaking barriers between French- and english-speaking countries, SARnISSA has built a database of stakeholders throughout the continent, and provided a web-based news and ideas exchange forum in both english and French (www.sarnissa.org). It is also gathering valuable reports, key articles and other documents to be archived in the Aquaculture Compendium (AC), which was first published in 2006 following development by CABI and an international consortium of government, private and donor organizations.

Key players throughout sub-Saharan Africa are writing case studies for the compendium to illustrate what has and has not worked in improving commercial and subsistence fish, shellfish and aquatic plant production on the continent. Detailed policy reviews by local experts will document and examine the governmental strategies employed to develop aquaculture within ten countries selected to represent the western, southern and eastern regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Support will also be given to sub-Saharan African aquaculture stakeholders in the preparation of research and development grant proposals and in the writing and publication of research and reviews. the AC was re-launched in 2010 on an improved Internet platform along with key content collated through the project and was made available free of charge to SARnISSA members.

From September to october the updated compendium was promoted to over 1300 SARnISSA members through the SARnISSA mailing list. towards the end of this period, a survey of the use of the AC by the stakeholders was conducted. the outcome showed that the tool was very valuable to the majority of the respondents who were able to easily search and find the information they required. In particular, the home page, full-text articles, case studies and datasheets provided useful information. the respondents also recommended that the AC should be widely promoted among aquaculture practitioners. Subsequently, more promotion of the AC targeting over 1000 stakeholders based in Africa has been undertaken.

project manager: J.F. Asaba ([email protected]) with Stirling university, uK (project coordinator). other partners are CIRAD, France (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), IRAD, Cameroon (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Bunda College, Malawi, Moi university, Kenya, AIt, thailand (Asian Institute of technology), etC, the netherlands, and the WorldFish Center. Funded by the european union (eu) (project number 213143).

Aquaculture research facilities at Bunda College, Malawi, February 2010 (photo: CABI)

Will leschen (university of Stirling) discusses catfish production with a farm owner, Mme Kansu, and an extension officer, just outside Yaoundé, Cameroon during a field trip following the first aquaculture stakeholder meeting, February 2009 (photo: D. Hemming)

Jane Asaba guides a participant in the use of the Aquaculture Compendium as part of a seminar that introduced tanzanian stakeholders in aquaculture to the compendium and to the SARnISSA project, university of Dar es Salaam, June 2009 (photo: D. Hemming)

the second SARnISSA Stakeholder Workshop was held in lilongwe, Malawi in February 2010; representatives discussed the state of aquaculture in their countries and the major problems faced at all levels of the industry (photo: W. leschen, university of Stirling, uK)


FARA membership of the Invasive Species CompendiumInvasive species are a major threat to the global economy and the environment, costing billions of dollars to control each year.

Developed by CABI, with support from a consortium of partners, the Invasive Species Compendium (ISC) is an online, comprehensive encyclopaedic reference work covering recognition, biology, distribution, impact and management of the world’s invasive plants and animals. this resource will be the most extensive and authoritative compilation on the subject in the world. Content is derived from thousands of peer-reviewed expert contributors, backed up by existing compilations of knowledge and research on invasive species. It offers extensive global coverage of all invasive species, from every taxonomic group (excluding human pathogens), with fast and easy navigation between text, images, maps and databases. It will contain full datasheets on more than 1500 invasive species and related topics.

the compendium is a vital tool for resource managers, extension workers, policymakers and researchers in the areas of agriculture and the environment. It will be freely available to all on an open-access basis and will be maintained, enhanced and regularly updated into the future, on a sustainable basis. It will be launched in 2011.

CABI is working with a consortium of partners, including the uS Department of Agriculture (uSDA), who provide direction, advice and funding for its development. until now, however, there have been no partners from African countries or organizations. through CABI Development Fund (CDF) investment we have brought the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) on board, in return for its commitment to provide direction and advice on the potential problems of invasive species in Africa. We anticipate that FARA will help highlight invasive species that are of particular importance to Africa’s agriculture and environment, and we plan to approach experts in Africa to help us to capture local knowledge.

the consortium has decided to make the compendium open access, so the next stage of fundraising will focus on the development of a sustainability fund, guaranteeing open access for five years. there will also be a strong emphasis on developing training and outreach programmes, especially in Africa.

In 2010 the initial steps were taken in engaging African researchers at the FARA Africa Science Week. It was apparent that invasive species are a challenge in agricultural and aquaculture systems in Africa and that many institutions are seeking knowledge on their management and control, and it was confirmed that the ISC provided accurate information on specific African invasive species.

Details of the forthcoming release of the openly accessible ISC have been communicated through the FARA network and an e-brochure and e-poster provided.

project manager: P. Roberts ([email protected]). Funded by the ISC Consortium.

CABI’s Invasive Species Compendium makes information on Africa’s invasive species easily accessible

27AFRICA CentRe

removing barriers to invasive plant management in AfricaAgriculture, trade, human health, the environment and economic development are all being adversely affected by invasive alien species (IAS). these IAS, which include plants, animals and microorganisms, have escaped from their native environments and are spreading to new areas around the world. they are the second biggest threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction and while this problem is not a new one, it continues to be a growing concern. Globalization of trade and travel is increasing the number of species moving around the world, and changes in land use and climate are making some habitats more susceptible to invasions.

In Africa, many IAS have been introduced both intentionally and accidentally and are now damaging natural and man-made ecosystems. Various tropical South American water plants have invaded unique wetlands, lakes and rivers. this has led to a loss of biodiversity and is affecting fishing and tourism industries. terrestrial ecosystems are also affected and agricultural production and food security are under threat.

For each country, national invasive species strategies and actions plans have been developed and IAS coordination units identified – and in most cases established. Sources of income for IAS activities have been identified. publicity and information materials have been produced and circulated and websites developed. procedures for risk analysis, early detection and rapid response mechanisms have also been developed in most countries.

In addition, invasive plant lists are being produced at a national level whilst best management practices for selected invasive plants have been developed based on research undertaken at pilot sites.

Some biological control agents have been tested and released. A variety of training programmes have also been developed. Quarantine departments have been provided with equipment and material support and more than 30 postgraduate students have been enrolled at various universities with most of them already having completed their studies.

the project countries come under different regional bodies and cover a range of habitats and species, so the outcomes of this project will be applicable to other IAS issues across the continent. the results will therefore be shared with other African countries to assist in their control of IAS. A noteworthy achievement of the project is the fact that coordination units have been established in almost all countries and that governments have allocated resources to ensure that the work on IAS continues well into the future.

During 2010, countries were able to complete some activities which will contribute to sustainability, including a completion workshop which was hosted by ethiopia in September. project outputs include a final report, which is being produced in the form of a ‘coffee-table’ book, and a final technical report, which will be submitted for publication in March 2011.

the project runs from 5 December 2005 to 31 March 2011.

project manager: A. Witt ([email protected]). partners include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana, the environmental Council of Zambia (eCZ), the ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (eIAR), and the national Agricultural Research organisation (nARo), uganda. Funded by the Global environment Facility (GeF) through the united nations environment programme (unep).

Clearing lantana at Victoria Falls, Zambia (photo: A. Witt)

Parthenium hysterophorus infestation in ethiopia; children playing and animals grazing are at risk from this toxic plant (photo: A. Witt)

Clearing mimosa in lochinvar national park, Zambia (photo: A. Witt)

Mass weeding during an awareness campaign in ethiopia (photo: A. Witt)


Centre of Phytosanitary Excellence: COPE A Centre of phytosanitary excellence (Cope) has been established to enhance the capacity of national phytosanitary systems in African countries. Its aims are to increase countries’ abilities to compete in international markets through meeting international phytosanitary standards and to protect their national agriculture and natural resources. Inadequate capacity amongst African countries has persistently led to increased crop loss during production and postharvest, hence decreasing the continent’s ability to meet its targeted food security. this has also hindered Africa’s access to international trade, particularly in horticultural produce.

the centre is providing phytosanitary capacity development and related services including training (in-service, university and customized courses) and coordination of regional plant health initiatives. It is also undertaking consultancies, for example on pest listing, diagnostics and surveillance. Cope is coordinating a regional network of pest risk analysts for information and capacity sharing. the team is currently working on harmonization of phytosanitary regulations for maize and beans in eastern Africa.

Cope is a ‘centre without walls’ with a secretariat in nairobi hosted at the Kenya plant Health Inspectorate Services (KepHIS) and the university of nairobi (uon). It was set up during a two-year (2008–10) project phase funded by the Standards and trade Development Facility (StDF) with co-financing from KepHIS and the netherlands plant protection Service (nppS). Cope was officially launched at a regional event held in october 2010 in nairobi.

project manager: F. Chege ([email protected]). Cope is a partnership between several African countries and the African union (Au) InterAfrican phytosanitary Council (IApSC), the Secretariat of the International plant protection Convention (IppC), FAo, nppS and CABI.

Stephen Karangizi, Assistant Secretary General (programmes),

CoMeSA (Common Market for eastern and Southern Africa),

speaking during Cope’s launch in nairobi (photo: F. Chege)

participants at a field course run by Cope in Kenya (photo: J. Muthomi,

university of nairobi)

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accelerated breeding of black rot resistant brassicas for the benefit of East African smallholdersBlack rot of brassicas caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is considered the most serious disease of brassica crops worldwide. In the east African highlands, brassicas are key smallholder crops for home consumption and selling at local markets. plant breeding can be used to improve the resistance of crops to diseases, but where protection comes from a single (generally dominant) disease resistance gene, this may be short-lived because the pathogen evolves to overcome it. Quantitative (or broad-spectrum) disease resistance, involving several genes, is generally expected to be more durable.

Although popular east African brassica varieties are very susceptible to Xcc, other varieties show quantitative resistance to Xcc based on the presence and interaction of a number of resistance genes; there are also different races of Xcc which respond differently to the elements of quantitative resistance in brassicas. this multidisciplinary project combines expertise in genetics, breeding, genomics and pathology to generate novel information on quantitative resistance to black rot. the information will inform and help growers and breeders in the region in developing and deploying potentially resistant brassicas.

A survey of black rot disease of brassicas was conducted on smallholder farms in east Africa, from which a total of 250 isolates of Xcc (141, 79 and 30 isolates from Kenya, tanzania and uganda, respectively) were isolated and race typed using molecular markers. the race typing shows most isolates from Kenya are of one race (race 4) plus a small number of race 1 isolates.

ongoing work by a postdoctoral scientist attached to the university of Warwick, uK, on multi-locus sequence typing (MlSt) is focused on determining whether there are any sequence variations among the isolates, and screening of diverse brassica accessions for additional sources of resistance. In previous brassica research at Warwick, we identified good sources of race-specific and potential broad-spectrum resistance in B. rapa to a representative isolate from each of the six Xcc races.

the next activity is to assess field resistance of F3 (third-generation) families of brassicas bred during the project, together with cabbage and kale varieties commonly grown in east Africa, and pre-breeding cabbage and kale lines for resistance to black rot. this will involve replicated field trials in Kenya, to be conducted in Kiambu, thika and Kakamega districts in 2011.

the project started on 1 December 2008 and runs till 30 March 2012.

project manager: D. Karanja ([email protected]). partners are the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), the World Vegetable Centre – Regional Centre for Africa (AVRDC-RCA), and the university of Warwick and the Food and environment Research Agency (Fera) in the uK. Funded by the uK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Department for International Development (DFID).

A healthy crop of kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) (photo: D. Karanja)

Black rot disease symptoms on infected kale leaves (photo: J. Mulema)

Disease-infected cabbage crop on a smallholder farm in central Kenya (photo: J. Mulema)

Scouting for pests and diseases in a smallholder vegetable farm in central Kenya (photo: J. Mulema)


crop protection in AfricaCrop protection is a significant feature of many agricultural and related activities, with technical, social, economic and environmental dimensions. notwithstanding the various interventions by FAo and other agencies operating in Africa, there is a perceived need to develop a strategic framework that identifies the actors, sectors and appropriate points of intervention, which can be used by the various agencies as a working document for guiding, informing and advising on current and future programmes.

the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development programme (CAADp) provides the overarching strategy for the sector, with explicit or implicit references to crop protection, pest management and phytosanitary issues in all four pillars. A document drawing these issues together into a cohesive framework could assist implementation of CAADp, and ensure that crop protection issues are addressed in a coordinated manner.

this study was undertaken to make an overall assessment of the needs of crop protection programmes at national, subregional and continental levels, and to develop a draft strategic framework for crop protection in Africa, specifically in relation to CAADp and its different pillars and cross-cutting areas. Areas covered included diagnosis of plant pests and diseases, pest management methods and approaches, transboundary and emerging pest problems, pesticide management, policy in relation to crop protection, phytosanitary systems and trade, and institutions, programmes and organizations providing crop protection services.

CABI consultant: R. Day ([email protected]). Funded by, and undertaken in collaboration with, FAo.

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assessing the safety of groundnuts and groundnut products from major market outlets in KenyaAflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by several species of commonly occurring Aspergillus fungi. these soil-inhabiting fungi readily colonize and contaminate susceptible crops, of which groundnuts (or peanuts) are one. It is critical to control levels of aflatoxins in the food chain as they are extremely toxic. Different types of aflatoxins have been associated with various types of cancer in different animal species.

the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-tropics (ICRISAt) requested CABI Africa to undertake a consultancy involving a microbial analysis of groundnut samples. this was a short assignment which started in December 2009 and ended in February 2010. the objective was to carry out aflatoxin risk assessment in groundnuts and groundnut products collected from major market outlets in Kenya in order to collect data that indicate how hazardous aflatoxin levels are for local consumers. the activity was aimed at evaluating occurrence of Aspergillus section Flavi contamination in groundnuts and groundnut products collected from nairobi and Western and nyanza provinces. About 1000 samples were analysed using CABI expertise and laboratory facilities, and the assignment was successfully completed in February 2010.

the outputs of the consultancy include the establishment of baseline data for groundnut aflatoxin contamination at the market level as well as baseline data on occurrence of Aspergillus section Flavi contamination in groundnuts and groundnut products collected from the study areas.

Data on aflatoxin types (B1, B2, G1 and G2) in groundnuts and groundnut products from the different regions were also collected. Aflatoxin B1 is the most potent liver carcinogen known and has been classified by IARC (international Agency for Research on Cancer) as a human carcinogen. Aflatoxin B1 and B2 are produced by A. flavus and released as metabolites aflatoxins M1 and M2 in milk of animals fed with contaminated feeds. Aflatoxin B1 is normally predominant in amount in cultures as well as in foods and even low levels of contamination are important. About 400 Aspergillus section Flavi cultures were preserved on agar slants and stored in the refrigerator for future work.

CABI consultant: L. Karanja ([email protected]). Funded by ICRISAt and CABI Africa.

CABI Africa scientist screening groundnuts for aflatoxins (photo: CABI)


‘out of Africa’the expertise of staff at CABI Africa is in demand around the world. the projects described on these pages summarize some of our activities outside Africa in 2010.

removing barriers to invasive species management in production and protection forests in Southeast AsiaInvasive alien species (IAS) pose a significant threat to protection and production forests in Southeast Asia. As a result, four countries in the region – Cambodia, Indonesia, the philippines and Vietnam – requested assistance in managing the problem from the Global environment Facility (GeF) through the united nations environment programme (unep). under this project preparation grant (ppG), these countries will work with CABI to develop a full-sized project in the following areas: development of policy, regional cooperation, capacity building, awareness creation, and development of best practices to manage invasive plants.

Work commenced on the project in July 2010. Familiarization tours by the project manager to Cambodia, Indonesia, the philippines and Vietnam in August allowed him to gain insights into the IAS problems the countries face and to meet with various stakeholders. An inception workshop for project partners was held in Kuala lumpur, Malaysia, in late August 2010.

the project runs from 30 June 2010 to 31 March 2011.

project manager: A. Witt ([email protected]). partners include the General Department of Administration for nature Conservation and protection (GDAnCp), Ministry of environment, Cambodia; Forest and nature Conservation Research and Development Centre (FnCRDC), Forest Research and Development Agency (FoRDA), Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia; Foreign-Assisted and Special projects office (FASpo), Department of environment and natural Resources (DenR), the philippines; and Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA), Ministry of natural Resources and environment, Vietnam. Funded by GeF/unep.

partners at the inception workshop for the project ‘Removing Barriers to Invasive Species Management in production and protection Forests in Southeast Asia’, August 2009, Kuala lumpur, Malaysia (photo: CABI)

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mitigating the threat of invasive alien species in the Insular CaribbeanCABI Africa is providing technical advice in addressing IAS that are major threats to the vulnerable marine, freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity of Caribbean islands and to the people depending on this biodiversity for their livelihoods. the project is strengthening existing national measures and helping to put in place Caribbean-wide IAS strategies. twelve pilot projects relating to prevention, early detection and rapid response, management and eradication of the most problematic IAS have been initiated to draw lessons from various methodologies. At the end of the project it is anticipated that the region will have the necessary tools and capacity to address existing and future biological invasions.

CABI Africa: A. Witt ([email protected]) in collaboration with N. Ramnanan (project leader, CABI Caribbean and latin America) and project partner organizations in the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint lucia, and trinidad and tobago. Funded by GeF/unep.

incursion prevention and management of coffee berry borer in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia’s South Sulawesi and Papua provincesthe coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, (CBB) is a very serious pest of coffee, causing premature fruit-fall and reduced bean weight and quality. In Indonesia 15–20% loss in annual production is attributed to this pest. CABI is training farmers on how to implement good pest management practices in Indonesia and helping put in place prevention and incursion procedures in papua new Guinea (pnG) where the pest is not yet known to occur. In CBB management, emphasis is given to situation-specific implementation of surveillance and awareness, appropriate integrated pest management (IpM) research, and technology dissemination through participatory training. prevention and incursion management is emphasizing capacity building in quarantine procedures, early detection and emergency response.

In Indonesia, a team of CABI Africa staff participated in training farmers on how to run farmer field schools and IpM and provided technical support in setting up field trials and demonstration plots.

CABI Africa: G. Oduor ([email protected]) with S.S. Sastroutomo (project leader, CABI Southeast and east Asia), in collaboration with ICCRI (Indonesian Cocoa and Coffee Research Institute) and MoAI (Ministry of Agriculture Indonesia). Funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Inspecting coffee leaves for coffee berry disease during an agro-ecological system analysis (AeSA) exercise, Indonesia (photo: G. oduor)


changes in aflatoxin prevalence along the maize value chain in Makueni, KenyaMaize is the major cereal crop of many countries in Africa.. It is the staple food for most households in both urban and rural areas in Kenya. low maize productivity in Kenya is associated with several constraints including high levels of pest and disease infestation, high cost of seeds/inputs, drought and poor weather conditions during crop maturation.

Constraints along the maize value chain (production – market – storage – consumption) need to be identified as an important initial step for development of management strategies. Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins mainly produced by several species in the Aspergillus section Flavi group, with A. flavus and A. parasiticus the species most commonly implicated. the fungi occur naturally in the soil and vary widely in virulence and aflatoxin-producing capacity. they are of particular public health importance because of their effects on human health. Aflatoxins have both carcinogenic and hepatotoxic actions, depending on the duration and level of exposure.

outbreaks of acute aflatoxicosis from highly contaminated food have been documented in Kenya, India and thailand. In Kenya, eastern province is considered to be an aflatoxin high-risk area and cases of acute aflatoxin poisoning as a result of ingestion of contaminated maize have been reported in many districts including Machakos, Makueni and Kitui. the aim of this study is to evaluate changes in aflatoxin prevalence along the maize value chain in Makueni District as an important initial step for development of management strategies.

A stratified sampling approach is being followed to collect maize samples from farmers in the district. thin-layer chromatography (tlC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elISA) techniques are being used to give type and quantity/levels of aflatoxins in the maize samples. Multivariate analysis is being used to compare differences along the whole value chain of maize. Data gathered in this study will provide additional information that will help stakeholders identify points along the chain where the fungi are more prevalent. As a result, low-cost mycotoxin control methods could be scaled and commercialized by traders for reducing mycotoxin contamination along the food and feed chain, hence promoting solutions for aflatoxin reduction in the maize value chain.

MSc student: Lucy W. Karanja. university: university of nairobi, School of Biological Sciences. Supervisors: Dr Noah Phiri, CABI Africa; Dr Fred Kanampiu and Dr G. Mahuku, CIMMYt (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center); Dr Charity Mutegi, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute; Dr Peter Wachira and Dr James W. Muthomi, university of nairobi. expected date of submission: July 2011.

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publicationsAsaba, J.F., Richards, G.R., Romney, D. and nkonoki, e. (2010) Incorporating use of a mixed-media information tool into the work of actors involved in the development of livestock production in tanzania; dissemination, user training, monitoring and evaluation, and impact. Agricultural Information Worldwide 3(2), 83–90.

Fish, J., Chiche, Y., Day, R., Negussie, E., Witt, A., Fessehaie, F., de Graft Johnson, K., Gumisizira, G. and nkandu, B. (2010) Mainstreaming Gender into Prevention and Management of Invasive Species. Global Invasive Species programme (GISp), Washington DC and nairobi, Kenya, 64 pp.

Negussie, E., Musebe, R., Day, R., Romney, D., Kimani, M., Maulana, t. and Mallya, G. (2010) Integrating indigenous and exogenous communication channels and capabilities through community-based armyworm forecasting. African Crop Science Journal 18(3), 125–136.

nyeko, p., Mutitu, K.e., otieno, B., ngae, G. and Day, R. (2010) Variations in Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: eulophidae) population intensity and infestation on eucalyptus germplasms in uganda and Kenya. International Journal of Pest Management 56(2), 137–144.

Page, S.L.J., Karanja, D.K., Mbwaga, A.M., letayo, e.A.S. and nsemwa, l.t.H. (2010) the underlying cause of the 2009 sorghum failure in Kongwa District and its implications for tanzania’s vulnerability to climate change. Food Security 2, 157–167.

Romney, D., Efa, N., Karanja, D., Agwanda, C., Kuhlmann, U., Phiri, N., Kimani, M., Musebe, R., Day, R., Grossrieder, M., Jones, n., Jones, H., Fish, J. and Boa, E. (2010) use of practical examples from CABI, a science based organization, to illustrate how more impact may be gained from research based knowledge. In: Proceedings of the Innovation Asia-Pacific Symposium, Kathmandu, Nepal, 4–7 May 2009. (in press December 2010)

Witt, A.B.R. (2010) Biofuels and invasive species from an African perspective – a review. GCB Bioenergy 2(6), 321–329.

Witt, A.B.R. and nongogo, A.X. (2010) the impact of fire, and its potential role in limiting the distribution of Bryophyllum delagoense (Crassulaceae) in southern Africa. Biological Invasions online First, DoI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9795-7.

reportsDay, R.K. (2010) Development of a strategic framework for crop protection in Africa. Report to the FAo Regional office for Africa. CABI Africa, nairobi.

Day, R.K. (2010) Community based armyworm forecasting for improved cereal productivity and profitability in Malawi, tanzania and Zimbabwe. Final narrative report. SADC ICARt project ICARt/ICRAFt/GC/007/06. CABI Africa, nairobi.

Karanja, D., okoko, n., Kiptarus, e., okong’o, p., Samali, S., Katunzi, A., Mtwaenzi, H. and Chagomoka, t. (2010) Scaling up farmer-led seed enterprises for sustained productivity and livelihoods in eastern and central Africa. Semi-annual report (December 2009 – June 2010). ASAReCA project p056-09-p7-01-003. CABI Africa, nairobi.

Karanja, D., Owaga, T., Gitonga, W., Cossa, l., Kimani, M. and Musebe, R. (2010) Improving cotton production efficiency in small-scale farming systems in east Africa (Kenya and Mozambique) through better vertical integration of the supply chain. project progress report (December 2009 – June 2010). CFC/eu project CFC/ICAC/37. CABI Africa, nairobi.

oral and poster presentationsChege, F.W., Day, R., Mwang’ombe, A., Rotteveel, t., Sakala, A., Muthomi, J., otieno, W., Kimani, e., ntoyai, R., M’ella, J.G., Jones, J., olubayo, F., Mohamed, R. and Clarendon, H. (2010) the Centre of phytosanitary excellence (Cope). 12th Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Biennial Scientific Conference, nairobi, Kenya, 8–12 november 2010.

Day, R. (2010) Community based armyworm forecasting. 33rd Council of Ministers of the International Red locust Control organisation for Central and Southern Africa (IRlCo-CSA), Maputo, Mozambique, 25–26 February, 2010.

Day, R. (2010) the Centre of phytosanitary excellence. Side meeting at the 5th Session of the Commission on phytosanitary Measures, Rome, Italy, 22–26 March, 2010.

Day, R. (2010) Winning the war against armyworms: overview. International Conference on Winning the War against Armyworms, nairobi, Kenya, 25–26 May, 2010.

Day, R. (2010) Capacity development. Meeting on SpS Capacity Building: Strategies and plans, part of the 5th African Agriculture Science Week and FARA General Assembly, ouagadougou, Burkina


Faso, 19–24 July, 2010.

Day, R. (2010) Invasive species: an alien idea to African publics? Workshop of the Centre of African Studies, university of Cambridge: the public understanding of Science in Africa, nairobi, Kenya, 22–24 September, 2010.

Day, R. (2010) Community based armyworm forecasting. FAo Workshop on Contingency planning and transboundary emergency plant pests preparedness, lusaka, Zambia, 18–22 october 2010.

Gatarayiha, C., Mushimiyimana, S., Bigirimana, J. and Phiri, N.A. (2010) Current status and management of coffee leaf rust disease in Rwanda. 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, Indonesia, 3–8 october 2010.

Gichimu, B.M. and Phiri, N.A. (2010) Response of newly developed and introduced Arabica coffee genotypes to coffee berry disease (Colletotrichum kahawae) in Kenya. 12th Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Biennial Scientific Conference, nairobi, Kenya, 8–12 november 2010.

Gitonga, W., Macharia, J.M.K., Mungai, A., njue, H., Karanja, D.K. and olweny, H. (2010) Cotton production constraints and research interventions in Kenya. 10th Meeting of the Southern and eastern African Cotton Forum, lusaka, Zambia, 9–10 March 2010. Web: www.icac.org/tis/regional_networks/documents/africa_10/business_meeting/3_kenya.pdf

Karanja, L.W., Phiri, N.A. and Oduor, G.I. (2010) pathogenicity of entomopathogens, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae as potential biocontrol agents of white coffee stem borer in Kenya. 8th International Symposium on Biocontrol and Biotechnology, pattaya, thailand, 4–6 october 2010.

Karanja, L.W., Phiri, N.A. and Oduor, G.I. (2010) effect of different solid substrates on mass production of entomopathogens, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. 12th Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Biennial Scientific Conference, nairobi, Kenya, 8–12 november 2010.

Kilambo, D., ng’homa, n.M., Mtenga, D.J., teri, J.M. and Phiri, N. (2010) progress in breeding for resistance to coffee wilt disease (tracheomycosis) in tanzania. 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, Indonesia, 3–8 october 2010.

Mallya, G., Negussie, E., Day, R., Musebe, R., Kimani, M., Maluana, t., Chikwenhere, G., Holt, J. and Knight, J. (2010) Community based armyworm forecasting: achievements and lessons in Malawi, tanzania and Zimbabwe. ICARt Scientific Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, 6–10 September 2010.

Musebe, R., Kimani, M., Mallya, G. and Negussie, E. (2010) Scaling up community based armyworm forecasting: lessons from tanzania. International Conference on Winning the War against Armyworms, nairobi, Kenya, 24–26 May 2010.

Negussie, E. and tonny, M. (2010) Scaling up community based armyworm forecasting in Malawi. lessons and prospects. International Conference on Winning the War against Armyworms, nairobi, Kenya, 24–26 May 2010.

Phiri, N.A., Baker, P., Rutherford, M., Flood, J., Musoli, p., Hakiza, G., Mbuyi, K., Kilambo, D., Adugna, G., pinard, F., Oduor, G. and Kimani, M. (2010) the regional coffee wilt programme: where do we go from here? 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, Indonesia, 3–8 october 2010.

Phiri, N.A., Jeffries, p., Hillocks, R. and Manda, B. (2010) potential for biocontrol of coffee berry disease in Malawi. 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, Indonesia, 3–8 october 2010.

Rangi, D., Oduor, G.I. and Karanja, D.K. (2010) Sustainable horticulture: a CABI perspective. the International Agri-technology Centre ltd (IAtC)/Sainsbury’s/Comic Relief Source Africa Conference, nairobi, Kenya, 11 February 2010.

Surya prakash, n., Manoj Kumar, M., padmajyothi, D., Sudhakar, S.B., Hanumantha, B.t., Daivasikamani, S., Suresh, n.R., Soumya, p.R., Asha, M.B., Madhura, M., Divya, M.H., Varzea, V.M.p., Maria, D.S., Jayarama, Phiri, N.A. and Gichimu, M.B. (2010) evaluation of coffee varieties derived from diverse genetic sources of resistance for prospective exploitation – an international cooperative effort. 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, Indonesia, 3–8 october 2010.

training materials CABI Africa (2010) Community based armyworm forecasting: empowering farmers through technology. policy brief. CABI Africa, nairobi, 4 pp.

CABI Africa (2010) Set of three posters, each in three languages (Chichewa, Shona and Kiswahili) on community based armyworm forecasting. CABI Africa, nairobi.

Negussie, E., Kimani, M. and Day, R.K. (2010). Community based armyworm forecasting: manual for training of trainers and forecasters. CABI Africa, nairobi. 93 pp.

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centre managementAkiri Morris, MBA, Director

Day Roger, phD, Deputy Director – Development

oduor George, phD, Deputy Director – Research

owaga tom, BSc, Finance Manager

ndambuki Vincent, Diploma, projects Accountant

ogwang eric, Diploma, Accounts Assistant

Chacha Duncan, BSc, Workshops/events Coordinator

likoko linda Afwande, Bed, office Manager

odhiambo Mary, Bed, Administration and Human Resource Manager

theme coordinatorsAgwanda Charles, phD, Co-ordinator Commodities

Witt Arne, MSc, Coordinator Invasive Species

scientistsAsaba Jane Frances, MSc, Information Scientist

Chege Florence, MSc, projects Manager

Gurmessa negussie efa, MSc, Farmer participatory training and Research Scientist

Karanja Daniel K., phD, plant pathologist

Kimani Martin G., BSc, Farmer participatory training and Research Scientist

Musebe Richard, phD, Socio-economist

phiri noah, phD, Senior Scientist – plant pathology

technical staffKaranja lucy, BSc, laboratory technician

Karanja peter, Diploma, laboratory technician

student attachmentsAbuga Collins, BSc (MSc Student, JKuAt university), Intern Student – Research Methods, from november

Chege James Kimani, Diploma (BSc Communications Student, Daystar university), Intern Student – Journalist, from october

other CABI staff based at the Africa Regional CentreRangi Dennis, MBA, executive Director, International Development

page Juliette, MSc, pA to executive Director, International Development

Romney Dannie, phD, Global Director, Knowledge for Development

Simons Sarah, phD, Global Director, GISp

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about CABI AfricaCABI Africa is one of CAB International’s (CABI’s) ten centres around the world. CABI is an inter-governmental, not for profit development organization, whose main areas of focus are scientific publishing, research and communication for development.

CABI Africa implements development and research projects that improve the lives of communities in Africa where over 80% of people living in rural areas rely on the crops they grow for food and for income. these communities face many challenges in growing enough good quality produce including: changing climatic conditions, threats from pests and diseases, lack of access to markets, and limited access to current agricultural information.

We work in partnership with national and regional organizations to provide the solutions that farming communities need; enabling them to adapt to improved ways of growing their crops, managing their environments and accessing markets.

CABI Africa implements research and development activities which focus on four CABI themes, namely:

Commodities: we work with smallholder commodity growers and traders in Africa to help them respond to commodity challenges thus enabling them to compete in the local and global markets. We work on a number of crops including cocoa, rice, sorghum, maize, cotton, tomato, kale, and other vegetables. However, our greatest experience has been in managing projects that improve coffee production, processing, marketing and pricing in several African coffee-growing countries.

Invasive Species: in collaboration with various partners, we support the management of invasive species (plants, animals or microorganisms not native to an ecosystem, whose introduction has threatened biodiversity, food security, health or economic development) in agriculture, trade and the environment through conducting research, promoting education and capacity building, creating awareness and influencing policy development. In Africa, CABI has been involved in the management of invasive species for more than fifty years. our recent work covers the management of several invasive species including lantana (Lantana camara), a widespread weed that invades pasture land; triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata), a perennial shrub that poses a significant threat to crop production and pastoralism; mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), which encroaches almost every area including crop and pasture land, while its thorns cause injuries to animal and people – some human fatalities have been reported; and parthenium or demoina weed (Parthenium hysterophorus), which invades both crop and grazing land, releasing chemicals into the soil which prevent the growth of other plant species.

Knowledge for Development: under this theme, CABI promotes rural innovation through identifying barriers that hinder accessing and sharing knowledge among stakeholders in the agricultural sector. In addition, we help stakeholders to develop effective linkages and partnerships. We use multi-stakeholder participatory approaches to build the capacity of partners to use outputs of research thus putting ‘research into use’ and to respond to emerging problems thus promoting innovation. examples of work that we have carried out in this area in recent times include development of approaches for community-based forecasting of African armyworms (Spodoptera exempta), a pest of crops in the grass family. this farmer-based approach, now in use in Kenya, ethiopia, Malawi, tanzania and Zimbabwe, has ensured that monitoring of the pest is done locally and farmers have more time to prepare for control of the pest.

Knowledge Management: we promote the use of information and communication technologies in order to provide farmers, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders, with the information they need to make informed decisions and to lift people out of poverty. Some of our recent work in this area includes support to the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and several other Kenyan agricultural-sector institutions, to establish the Kenya Agricultural Information network (KAInet: www.kainet.or.ke) and support to development of the Global Agricultural Research Archive (GARA), an agricultural knowledge archive developed on behalf of developing countries around the world, which includes information from Malawi (www.cabi.org/GARA).

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our staffour main offices are in nairobi, Kenya, but our staff work throughout Africa. We have expertise in both the biological and social sciences, and in applying science for development. our experienced team is led by Morris Akiri, who has in-depth project development and management skills and has worked in numerous countries throughout Africa. We work closely with a range of groups including farmers’ organizations, research centres and businesses, and our staff are skilled in forging the effective partnerships that ensure sustainable development.

our sponsors and partnersthese include African governments, national research organizations, educational establishments, non-governmental and community-based organizations, the private sector, development agencies, regional bodies and international agricultural research centres.

our African member countriesCurrently, there are 16 CABI member countries in Africa, namely: Botswana, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra leone, South Africa, tanzania, uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.


acronymsAAACp All ACp Agricultural Commodities programme (eu)

AC CABI’s Aquaculture Compendium

ACIAR Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

ACp African, Caribbean and pacific (Group of States)

AeSA agro-ecosystem analysis

AfDB African Development Bank

AIt Asian Institute for technology (thailand)

AIV African indigenous vegetable

ARI Agricultural Research Institute (tanzania)

ASAReCA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in eastern and Central Africa

ASK Agricultural Society of Kenya

Au African union

AVRDC-RCA World Vegetable Centre – Regional Centre for Africa

BBC bacterial blight of coffee

BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

BCA Biodiversity Conservation Agency, Ministry of natural Resources and environment (Vietnam)

BpC Banco de poupança e Crédito (Angola)

CAADp Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development programme

CAII Centre for Agriculture Inputs International (uganda)

CAIStAB Caisses de Stabilisation et de perequation (Gabon)

CBAF community based armyworm forecasting

CBB coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei)

CBD coffee berry disease (caused by Colletotrichum kahawae)

CBo community-based organization

CCFCC Comite de Coordination pour les Filieres Café et Cacao (togo)

CDF CABI Development Fund

CFC Common Fund for Commodities

CIMMYt International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (France)

CluSA Cooperative league of the uSA

CoDA Cotton Development Authority (Kenya)

CoMeSA Common Market for eastern and Southern Africa

Cope Centre of phytosanitary excellence

CoReC Coffee Research Centre of naCRRI (uganda)

CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Ghana)

CWS coffee washing stations

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DenR Department of environment and natural Resources (the philippines)

DFID Department for International Development (uK)

DR Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo

DuS distinct, uniform and stable (crop varieties/landraces)

eAFCA eastern African Fine Coffees Association

eCZ environmental Council of Zambia

eIAR ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research

elISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

eu european union

FAo un Food and Agriculture organization

FARA Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa

FASpo Foreign-Assisted and Special projects office, DenR, the philippines

Fera Food and environment Research Agency (uK)

FFS farmer field school(s)

FlSe farmer-led seed enterprise

FnCRDC Forest and nature Conservation Research and Development Centre, FoRDA (Indonesia)

FoRDA Forest Research and Development Agency, Ministry of Forestry (Indonesia)

GAp good agricultural practice(s)

GCB Bioenergy Global Change Biology Bioenergy (journal)

GDAnCp General Department of Administration for nature Conservation and protection, Ministry of environment (Cambodia)

GeF Global environment Facility

GISp Global Invasive Species programme

HoRtI-tengeru national Horticulture Research And training Institute, tengeru (tanzania)

IACo Inter African Coffee organization

IAM Instituto do Algodão de Moçambique

IApSC Au’s InterAfrican phytosanitary Council

IAS invasive alien species

IAtC International Agri-technology Centre ltd (uK)

ICARt SADC’s Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Research and training programme

ICCo Interchurch organisation for Development Cooperation (the netherlands)

ICCRI Indonesian Cocoa and Coffee Research Institute

ICM integrated crop management

ICo International Coffee organization

ICRISAt International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-tropics

IIAM Instituto Investigação Agrária de Moçambique

InCA Instituto nacional do Café (Angola)

IpM integrated pest management


IppC International plant protection Convention

IRAD Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Cameroon)

IRlCo-CSA International Red locust Control organisation for Central and Southern Africa

ISAR Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda

ISC CABI’s Invasive Species Compendium

JKuAt Jomo Kenyatta university of Agriculture and technology (Kenya)

KARI Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

KepHIS Kenya plant Health Inspectorate Services

KfD CABI’s Knowledge for Development theme

KM CABI’s Knowledge Management theme

KWS Kenya Wildlife Service

MAFSC Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (tanzania)

MDtF ASAReCA’s Multi Donor trust Fund

MlSt multi-locus sequence typing

MoA Ministry of Agriculture (Kenya)

MoAI Ministry of Agriculture Indonesia

MoARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (ethiopia)

nAADS national Agriculture Advisory Services (uganda)

naCRRI national Crops Resources Research Institute of nARo (uganda)

nARo national Agricultural Research organisation (uganda)

nASeCo nalweyo Seed Company (uganda)

neRICA new Rice for Africa

nGo non-governmental organization

nppS the netherlands plant protection Service

nRI natural Resources Institute (uK)

nuR national university of Rwanda

pACA programme d’Appui et de Competitive Agricole (Cameroon)

pCpB pest Control products Board (Kenya)

pIA project Implementing Agency

pnG papua new Guinea

ppG project preparation grant

RADA Rwanda Agriculture Development Authority

Riu DFID’s Research into use programme

SADC Southern African Development Community

SARnISSA Sustainable Aquaculture Research networks in Sub Saharan Africa

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

StDF Standards and trade Development Facility

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tAtRo technology Adoption through Research organization (Kenya)

tlC thin-layer chromatography

toSCI tanzania official Seed Certification Institute

tot training of trainers course

tpRI tropical pesticides Research Institute (tanzania)

un united nations

unep united nations environment programme

uon university of nairobi

uSDA united States Department of Agriculture

Xcc Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (cause of brassica black rot)

contact CABIAfricaKenya CABI, ICRAF Complex united nations Avenue, Gigiri po Box 633-00621 nairobi, Kenya T: +254 (0)20 7224450/62 E: [email protected]

AmericasBrazil CABI, uneSp-Fazenda experimental lageado, FepAF (escritorio da CABI) Rua Dr. Jose Barbosa de Barros 1780, Fazenda experimental lageado Cep:18.610-307 Botucatu, San paulo, Brazil. T: +5514-38826300 E: [email protected]

trinidad & tobago CABI, Gordon Street, Curepe trinidad and tobago T: +1 868 6457628 E: [email protected]

uSA CABI, 875 Massachusetts Avenue 7th Floor, Cambridge MA 02139, uSA T: +1 617 3954051 E: [email protected]

AsiaChina CABI, Beijing Representative office Internal post Box 56 Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 12 Zhongguancun nandajie Beijing 100081, China T: +86 (0)10 82105692 E: [email protected]

India CABI, 2nd Floor, CG Block, nASC Complex, Dp Shastri Marg opp. todapur Village, puSA new Delhi – 110012, India T: +91 (0)11 25841906 E: [email protected]

Malaysia CABI, po Box 210, 43400 upM Serdang Selangor, Malaysia T: +60 (0)3 89432921 E: [email protected]

pakistan CABI, opposite 1-A, Data Gunj Baksh Road Satellite town, po Box 8 Rawalpindi-pakistan T: +92 (0)51 9290132 E: [email protected]

EuropeSwitzerland CABI, Rue des Grillons 1 CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland T: +41 (0)32 4214870 E: [email protected]

uK CABI, nosworthy Way Wallingford, oxfordshire oX10 8De, uK T: +44 (0)1491 832111 E: [email protected]

CABI, Bakeham lane egham, Surrey tW20 9tY, uK T: +44 (0)1491 829080 E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

www.cabi.org

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

CABI Africa - Centre report - 2010

Documents

Transcript of CABI Africa - Centre report - 2010