Healthy seedlings, safer vegetables and healthier diets for Kenyans and the world.

Globally, the population is rapidly rising, especially in urban settings, increasing demand for food. At the same time, climate change is affecting food security. Under the Food Frontiers and Security Program (FFSP) the International Institute of Agriculture (IITA) together with the World Vegetable Center have focused attention on the promotion and use of quality vegetable seedlings as the foundation for improving the resilience and safety of urban and peri-urban (UPU) food production systems in Kenya.

Seedlings play a vital role in the quality of production. High quality seedlings give rise to superior crops that are resilient against numerous stresses, such as pests and diseases. In UPU areas, leafy vegetables are highly perishable and among the most consumed crops. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) consumption of at least 400 g of vegetables per day are recommended to avert non-communicable diseases (NCDs). To maintain healthy diets in urban centers the local production and supply of safe, perishable vegetables is essential.

IITA is currently promoting the use of good quality propagated vegetable tray seedlings grown under controlled conditions in greenhouses as a platform to enhance healthy vegetable production. The seedlings are grown in soilless media, such as cocopeat or peat moss, which enables production of healthy seedlings without disease but also avoids the risk of transferring soil-borne pests and diseases. The tray seedlings have a compact, strong and robust root system which helps avoid transplant shock (loss) and enables a rapid growth upon transplanting to the field. In addition, the strong root vigour ensures efficient and effective water and nutrient uptake, reducing wastage from use of excess water for irrigation or fertilizer application. Consequently, healthy tray seedlings provide an effective, climate-smart technology.

To increase the adoption of vegetable tray seedlings, IITA has been creating awareness of their benefits through active, farmer participatory demonstration plots, comparing tray seedlings with bare-root ground seedlings.

Notable differences observed begin with the seed, with tray seedlings showing positive ripple effects across production stages. Seeds sown on trays have a 90-100% germinability, compared with 30-50% for soil-sown seeds. Transplant losses are also much lower with tray seedlings, which also grow faster are harvested sooner and for longer than plants derived from conventional bare-root seedlings that have a shorter lifespan. The tray seedlings produce double to triple the yield as compared to the bare-root seedlings, improving financial returns and raising farmer profits. Because tray seedlings are more robust they are also in a position to tolerate pests and diseases better in the field thus reducing pesticide usage.

To accelerate the adoption of tray seedlings, IITA is partnering with learning institutions, such as schools, tertiary training colleges and universities. Entrepreneurial individuals are also being trained towards the establishment of satellite seedling production units. Learning institutions such as the YMCA in Limuru and Murang’a University of Technology Mariira campus through our partnership have already established productive seedling production units. These are used to facilitate the training students in the use of good agricultural practices and enhance their expertise in agriculture. They also demonstrate the potential for business opportunities in agriculture. Meanwhile, the local community is also benefiting through easy access to quality seedlings, which generates income for the production unit. The benefits are multiple! These initiatives not only help build technical skills to young participants but also create awareness amongst the young generation and the community at large.

IITA’s efforts are being strengthened by collaborating with a range of partners across Kenya, such as the Nutrition In Cities Ecosystems (NICE) project under Sustainable Agricultural Foundation (SAF) in Western Kenya and the World Vegetable Center in Murang’a, where together, the use of vegetable tray seedlings for African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) is being encouraged and supported. In Nairobi, close participation with the City County, is similarly creating awareness on the use and benefits of tray seedlings, and is specifically being promoted through the recently refurbished government greenhouse at the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) showground. The unit was used as a good learning hub during the Nairobi International Trade Fair on seedling production. This was in collaboration with local seedling production companies, who have provided and participated in training exercises, such as Grace Rocks. Moreover, the Nairobi City County agricultural extension officers have received specific training through the FFSP to enhance their understanding and advocacy on the use of vegetable tray seedlings.

IITA have extended their healthy tray seedling activities to Kisumu County, where we have supported the refurbishment of a propagation unit for Orundu Suppliers, a local partner, to provide seedlings and training to local farmers and partners. This has demonstrated a notable success, which has contributed to a significant shift by farmers in the region now adopting the use of healthy seedlings compared to previously.

Other strategic seedling propagation partners include Prema Grow, Grace Rock Farm, Mkulima Seedlings, JK Smart Farm, to mention just a few. The different initiatives that IITA is working on are aiming at creating job opportunities and increasing productivity of safer food for healthier diets.

Authors

Danny Coyne¹, James Kisaakye¹, Eva Ivy Nyambura¹, Newton Nyagah Miringu¹, Janet Achieng Odera¹, Ann Njeri¹, Miriam Irungu¹, Martha Awino², Mellen Nyabuto¹

¹ International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

² International Potato Center (CIP)