Avocado is the leading horticultural export in Kenya. In 2003, Kenya exported about 19,000 t, compared to 23 t in 1970. Most of the fruit is exported to the European markets. There are several constraints limiting production of avocado in Kenya, including limited superior varieties or planting material, poor infrastructure, poor market information, and poor tree crop management. Although several diseases infect avocado, the most important are fruit rot pathogens, such as anthracnose, cercospora, and scab. However, diseases and pests have not been important to avocado production in Kenya. Recently (2004), the constraint limiting avocado production in Kenya is anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeospoirioides. Little is known in Kenya on the impact of this disease on production and income realized by small-(<1 acre) or large-scale growers. The objectives of this research were to quantify losses attributed to anthracnose in Kenya, determine the current disease control measures, and recommend good agricultural practice in conformance with EUREP-GAP. A survey was conducted in the avocado growing areas to identify and document constraints limiting avocado production in 2004. The highest losses were reported from central Kenya, where exporters reported up to 100% losses. Because all avocado varieties growing in Kenya are susceptible to anthracnose, it is recommended that good management, i.e., control of pests and diseases and good postharvest handling of fruit to minimize injury used as an entry point by anthracnose, should be enforced.

Temperate zone fruit crops undergo bud dormancy which can be described as a mechanism for avoiding the exposure of tender flowers and leaves to low winter temperatures. In Kenya, apple growing is mostly hampered by inadequate chilling that causes the plants to have prolonged dormancy leading to poor flowering and consequently low yield. Although the chilling requirements are obligatory, under subtropical and especially tropical conditions avoidance is possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to select cultivars with low chilling requirements. This has proven effective in Zimbabwe with cultivar Matsu which is grown without a need for artificial breaking of dormancy. In Kenya like Zimbabwe, low chilling requiring cultivars such as Anna have been grown successfully. However, for cultivars with high chilling requirements, there is need to apply artificial techniques/methods to enhance bud break. Some of the cultural techniques used are: defoliation after harvesting and bending of the shoots holizontally. Defoliation after harvesting has particularly been used successfully in the island of Java in Indonesia and it enables two crops to be grown per year. Root chilling of rootstock has also been found to enhance bud break of the shoot. In addition, chemicals like KNO3, mineral oil and thiourea (TU) have been found to be effective in breaking bud dormancy in Kenya. This paper is reviewing the challenges encountered in growing apples in the tropics and Kenya in particular and the progress that has made in addressing them.

Jelly seed disorder is one of the major problems in mango production in Kenya as well as other mango producing countries in the world. This problem manifests itself through breakdown of tissues around the seed of the affected fruits resulting in unmarketable fruits. Although the exact cause of jelly seed in mango is unknown, some reports indicate that the condition could be due to imbalance related to Ca, Mg, N and K supply to the fruit. To establish the extent of this problem in Kenya, a study was conducted in 2013 in three major mango producing counties located in different agroecological zones namely Embu, Murang'a and Meru. Three farms with homogenous trees of "Tommy Atkins" and "Van Dyke" mangoes were randomly selected per county. Soil and mango leaf analysis were carried out to determine the nutrient status. Rainfall and temperature data were also recorded during the study period. At harvest time, 50 tree-ripe fruits of each variety were randomly sampled from 25 trees per site and sliced along the endocarp to expose the seed then visually examined and scored for the incidence of jelly seed using Galan Sauco scale. Soil analysis showed Original Research Article

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