Understanding Potato Production Practices in North-Western Kenya through Surveys: an Important Key to Improving Production

Abstract

Potato is the second most important food crop after maize in Kenya. However, most farmers produce potatoes under sub-optimal management, resulting in low yields, despite the introduction of improved varieties. Potato production practices were documented and compared to contribute towards improved potato management and productivity in Kenya. The study was guided by the hypothesis that potato farming and management practices influence potato performance and can depend on the production environment. Focus group discussions and household surveys were conducted in three major potato growing areas in Kaptama, Saboti and Lelan in Bungoma, Trans Nzoia and Elgeyo Marakwet counties in Kenya. Farming was the main occupation of 58.2% of the respondents. Respondents across the study sites indicated that they grew potatoes with their main focus as a cash (83.6%) and food (16.4%) crop. Most respondents had planted potatoes during both the last long (96.4%) and short (92.4%) rainy seasons. The four most important constraints limiting optimal potato production according to respondents were lack of quality seed, diseases (specifically late blight and bacterial wilt), poor marketing and lack of adequate technical knowledge on potato management. Low yields realized by farmers were mainly influenced by poor farmer practices in the use of seed, fertilizers, pesticides and crop rotation. This was compounded by farmers’ perceptions on input quantities applied, frequencies and farmers’ access to agricultural extension information on potatoes, which heavily relied on family members and neighbouring farmers. Provision of quality seeds and training of farmers with the support of demonstrations on fertilizer and pesticide and appropriate crop rotation practices are recommended for improved potato production and yields. Use of irrigation where possible should be enhanced through government and development partners’ support to ensure sustainable potato production and supply. Also, the use of viable extension information channel(s) could enhance potato production for household food security, livelihoods and national goals.

Understanding genotype × environment interactions in potato production to guide variety adoption and future breeding strategies

“…CIP cultivars showed high values for plant height and AUCCPC, characteristics associated with enhanced interception of solar radiation (Haverkort et al 1991) as a result of the fast canopy cover growth of genotypes (Nieto 2016; Khan 2019), and therefore a high yield potential. The mean yield of 35.2 t ha -1 of genotypes tested was only slightly lower than the yield of Shangi, the most popular variety (Komen et al 2017;Kwambai et al 2022).The difference in yield between the highest and lowest yielding varieties tested was 44 t ha -1 indicating the wide diversity in yield potential.…”

“…The high late-blight resistance in several genotypes showed potential candidate parents for crossing in breeding programmes, and promising genotype options for cultivation by farmers. Despite variations in the seasonal performance of the genotypes at the different altitudes, there were varieties with stable yields and/or late blight resistance across locations or at specific locations, and breeders should consider developing varieties with similar attributes, while farmers could have candidate varieties for cultivation so long as such varieties were preferred in the market (Kwambai et al 2022).…”

“…In Kenya, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is mainly grown by smallholder farmers for food and cash (Gildemacher et al 2011;Kwambai et al 2022), in two seasons: the short rainy season (from August to November/December) and the long rainy season (from April to August/September). From the mountainous Andes region in South America to Europe, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, China, India, and other regions of the world, potato has proven to be versatile regarding its adaptation, production capacity and utilization (NPCK 2018).…”

“…Numerous factors limit the production and productivity of potato in Kenya, including limited access to quality seed of adapted and acceptable varieties (Gildemacher et al 2011;Muthoni 2014;Atieno et al 2023;Kwambai et al 2023). The Kenyan government increased the attention to potato, resulting in public-private-partnerships with European seed companies working individually or with their Kenyan counterparts in introducing high seed quality of new varieties.…”

Assessment of profit efficiency of smallholder potato farmers in Nakuru County, Kenya

“…Statistics show that the acreage under potato production has expanded from 115,604 ha in 2014 to around 214,600 hectares in 2021, but the yields per ha have reduced from about 14.1 to 9.8 t/ha over the same period (FAOSTAT, 2021). The increase in the area under potato cultivation results from an increase in the number of farmers and the land put under the crop (Kwambai et al., 2023). Still, the rapid population growth rate experienced in the country tends to put more pressure on land use and fragmentation, leading to a continuous decline in farm size (MoALF, 2021).…”