Potato farmers have been grappling with lack of certified seeds and have been forced to recycle those from past harvests.
Experts have attributed this to low yields as the seeds are often diseased. The insufficient availability of certified seeds and poor agronomic practices have also been associated with reduced yields.
But this could soon end if the new technology being developed by the Tumaini National Youth Service in Nyahururu, Nyandarua county, on seed production is anything to go by.
The aeroponics technology involves the use of cultured plantlets that are rolled with foam material before they are stuffed in holes on a horizontal planting bed in a greenhouse.
The seed potato production technology was launched in February by Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Public Service CS Margaret Kobia.
The technology is being implemented by the NYS in partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and Kenya Prisons Service with the aim of producing high-quality seeds for potato farmers in the country.
Kennedy Nyakang’o, the commanding officer at Tumaini NYS said they are currently producing seeds to meet the demand of the two institutions but farmers will start accessing the certified seeds come next year.
“We want to be food sufficient and be able to feed thousands of inmates and the NYS servicemen before we sell to farmers. This will help reduce the burden on taxpayers to provide food for this huge population,” he said while speaking to the media during a field visit.
Nyakang’o said they have 6,500 plants in the greenhouses and each plantlet produces 66 mini-tubers that produce 429,000 seeds per season. One mini-tuber costs Sh20.
He said Kenya is the first country in Africa to be able to produce a high number of mini-tubers using the technology followed by Rwanda.
Nyakang’o said potato is the second-most important food crop in Kenya after maize and it is also one of the focus crops under the Big Four agenda on food security and nutrition.
Statistics from Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) shows that over 800,000 Kenyans are directly engaged in potato production.
Another 2.5 million people are in the potato value chain with an annual potato production of 2.06 tonnes worth Sh10 billion at farm gate and Sh28.2 billion at consumer level.
The National Potato Council of Kenya states that an estimated 160,000 hectares (395,368 acres) are under potato farming, with 83 per cent of this being grown by smallholder farmers.
Farmers harvest 60-80 bags of 110kg per acre while smallholder farmers harvest 30-50 bags of 110 kilos per acre; this is against a potential production of 150 bags per hectare for a 110kg bag.
There are 13 major potato producing counties in Kenya. They are Nyandarua, Meru, Nyeri, Kiambu, Taita Taveta, Nakuru, Narok, Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot.
Other potato producing counties include Kisii, Nyamira, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Baringo, Nandi, Laikipia and Kericho.
“Upcoming potential potato producing counties include Machakos, Makueni, Embu, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Samburu, Kwale and Nairobi. The leading production counties are Nyandarua at 29.8 per cent and Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet at 18.9 and 16.2 per cent, respectively,” Kephis says.
Stephen Khisa, a laboratory technologist at Kephis, said the agency is providing clean material (cultured plantlets) while NYS Tumaini produces the seeds.
“Most of the farmers plant using seeds of poor quality and those prone to pests and diseases, leading to low production and equally low income,” he said.
He said Kephis has been doing regular inspections to ensure the unit follows the right procedures, taking good care and ensuring there are no pests in the greenhouse and the final product meets the required high quality and clean standards.
Khisa said they are encouraging more partners to come on board to help with seed propagation and ensure there are adequate certified potato seeds in the country.
Aeroponics technology
Kephis produces materials called plantlets to Tumaini NYS, to start the production process using aeroponics system.
There is a horizontal planting bed with holes or pots for plantlets. A form material is used to roll around the plantlets which is then stuffed into the holes where the upper part is left in the open while the roots are left hanging and exposed to nutrients in mist form.
Nyakang’o says the foam continues holding the stem and root mass in place as the plant grows.
“The plantlets start producing mini-tubers 30-45 days after planting and harvesting starts at two and half months, with a plantlet producing about 66 mini-tubers per season. From greenhouse the mini-tubers are taken into the field for further multiplication,” he said.
