Funded by: 

    Project 105653

Potato is the second most important crop in Kenya, grown for food, and as a source of income.

The vast majority of growers in Kenya are smallholder farmers. Pests and diseases cause huge losses to their crop production. Potato production in Kenya is being seriously impacted by the Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), an emerging, introduced pathogen. 

This proof of concept project aims to demonstrate that potato cultivars combining the agronomic traits favoured by Kenyan growers (yield, size, market etc), the traits sought by the women responsible for the majority of food preparation in rural Kenya (market, flavour, colour etc), with resistance to the predominant PCN species, represent a valid target for breeding programmes and subsequent commercialisation.