Featured Past Articles

A Day at Plantas Continental Trial House in Timau

At the begining of July, we headed to the scenic countryside of Timau, an area on the chilly nothern slopes of Mount Kenya. This is where Plantas Continental’s trial house is located; housed within the confines of Uhuru Flowers Ltd at 2,600m altitude. At the trial house, Plantas Continental showcases both new and well established commercial rose varieties; including standard roses and garden roses.

 

Dümmen Orange, unveiling the ‘City’ range of roses

We recently visited the Dümmen Orange flower breeding facility located in Naivasha; for the first time since the unveiling of their new brand values, logo and merger of several well-known corporate brands.

Two main things stood out during our visit. The entire rose assortment from Terra Nigra is now available at Dümmen Orange. Terra Nigra was one among the various companies merged under the Dümmen Orange umbrella.

Dümmen Orange has also introduced a new line dubbed “City Range” which is an assortment comprising of rose varieties ideal for supermarket growers. These rose varieties are good producers and according to Dümmen Orange East Africa GM Peter Mwangi, the roses are a good choice for growers at 1,500 to 1,900 altitude and this was a good time for the growers to visit and sample. Peter shared with us some important insights on the City Range.

 

New Rose Sensual to be introduced soon at Dutch Auction

Sensual is a large rose variety with a white-pink bi colour. The rose has good production and a full flower. Recently, Sally Roberts and team from Olij Rozen East Africa visited rose grower Xpressions Flora Ltd in Nakuru where they were shown the first stems of this new variety by Jan Spek Roses. Sensual is set to be introduced soon through Amor at the Dutch auction.

Jan Spek Rozen is represented by Olij Breeding in East Africa, South- Africa, Poland and at other European and East European countries.

 

Interplant Spray Roses

Product Group: Premium Spray Roses

Trade name: Royal Porcelina

Denomination: Interyorcrop

VBN Code: 115024

Stem length (cm): 60-80

Vaselife (days): 10-12

Flower production: medium

Colour: cream white

New introduction: yes

 

East African Packaging Industries Limited Names new Managing Director

East African Packaging Industries Limited, which supplies cartons and related packaging materials in East Africa, announced that Mr. Nick Barnes has been appointed to succeed Cor Roest as the Managing Director effective August this year.

Mr. Barnes joins the group with a wealth of experience in manufacturing packaging materials. He began his Kenyan career at Allpack Industries Limited as the General Manager then. He later moved to Dilpack Packaging Ltd as a director and still overseeing the day to day running of the company that manufactures flower sleeves.

EAPI is fortunate to have someone as experienced in Packaging as Mr. Barnes with an experienced leadership team in place to support his efforts. The flower sector will also be overjoyed to have Mr. Barnes back.

Rising cost of farm inputs in the country has seen some leading flower farms in the country rethink other innovative ways of cutting chemical based fertilizers cost in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

A leading rose grower in Kenya, has embraced a relatively new but simple system to operate composting technology known as Vermicomposting. This refers to the production of plant nutrient rich excreta of earthworms and decomposed matter.

Earthworms play a vital role in plant growth and it is quite possible to effect quick change over for sustainable agriculture by harnessing the brand new vermicompost technology to the soil. This vermicompost have enzymes, secretions of earthworms which stimulate growth and yield of crops and even develop resistance in crops receiving this spray. Also known as vermiwash, worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, vermicompost is similar to plain compost, except that it uses worms in addition to microbes and bacteria to turn organic waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Most growers show a lot of enthusiasm when choosing cartons, sleeves or even refrigerated containers. However, little attention is generally given when choosing SFK, yet they are the first line of protection for the flowers. This has resulted in growers losing many stems which should have turned into revenue. This was revealed by research carried out recently by this periodical.

In Kenya, there is a wide range of SFK available to growers and exporters from different suppliers. However, the reasons for selecting a specific type of SFK is not always clear. Pack rates and cost efficiency seem to be prevailing motives according to our research. The outcome, however, is not always what would be best for the flowers.

 

The warm months of the year starting this September are reckoning. Rose growers across the country are already arming themselves to combat the almost imminent upsurge of thrips in their crops. This is because in spite of great advances in insectpest control strategies in horticultural systems, thrips still remains to be one of the most challenging pest to control across the world. In Kenya, Rose growers have witnessed increasing difficulty in controlling the most common and problematic thrips species in Roses, the Western flower thrips (Frankliniellaoccidentalis). Historically, thrips management in crop production systems relied heavily on the use of chemical pesticides (insecticides) that are usually foliar applied. No grower wants to wake up one morning only to find their most valuable varieties have succumbed to a thrips attack at the peak season. Yet this is a reality most growers have to contend with now. In high-value horticultural and ornamental crops, the perceived risks of insect damage have often encouraged growers to make intensive insecticide applications. This of course has come at a steep price, as widespread resistance of thrips to most classes of insecticides including but not limited to, Carbamates, Organophosphates and Pyrethroids used for its management, has been reported.

This high propensity of thrips in developing insecticide resistance has been attributed to its biological attributes. Indeed, thrips have proven notoriously difficult to control owing to their small sizes, high rates of reproduction and cryptic (hiding) habits. A female thrips can produce up to 250 eggs during its life cycle. This quickly leads to great numbers of thrips infesting individual plants. An infestation of thrips may begin through insects being introduced into the greenhouse along with planting material and later in the season, adult thrips may fly from outside a process that is commonly referred as thrips influx. Thrips influx is very common in farms located in areas where crops such as Wheat which are good alternative hosts to thrips are grown. Growers also have to be aware of resident thrips which are basically thrips populations which thrive in the greenhouse in spite of regular chemical sprays. The fact is that some stages of the thrips are not susceptible to insecticide application and as a result continues to multiply and increase. These include the eggs which are laid in the leaf tissue and pupal stages which shelter under soil and debris. The spread of thrips can be both active (flight) and/or a passive process (floating on air currents).

 

An Integrated Management Approach:

Most Sustainable Tool in Thrips Management

As highlighted earlier, insecticide resistance is just one the issues growers have to contend with in control of thrips. Increasingly, growers are facing more stringent market demands with mounting pressure to reduce the number of molecules and observe maximum residue levels (MRLs) on their produce. This turn of events has of course cast growers in an unenviable situation. The reality is that no single control measure can effectively manage thrips population and this calls for an emphasis on an integrated management approach. In order to counter insecticide resistance in the western flower thrips, several insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs have been developed around the world. The core objective of IRM programs is to maximize the life-span of efficacy for insecticides. Research has shown that successful IRM programs rely on non-insecticidal tactics, such as biological and cultural controls and host plant resistance to reduce population pressures. Also of importance is the rotation among insecticides of different mode of action classes, resistance monitoring, sampling to determine the need for insecticide applications and education to assure proper implementation. Growers need to adopt a proactive rather than a reactive approach in implementation of IRM programs in order to maximize their chances of success. The focus should be on more judicious insecticide use, and this can be accomplished with the development of well-founded economic thresholds.

 

The Role of Bio-control Agents

One of the main challenges in the use of insecticides as highlighted earlier is the fact that resident thrips population are always present as some stages of the thrips are not susceptible to insecticide application, specifically eggs and pupae. In addition, the risk of influx thrips from outside can catch a grower off-guard leading to surprise losses. To get rid of thrips eggs it’s advisable to use cultural methods such as knocking down damaged & open flowers. Koppert has also recently introduced ENTONEM based on the juvenile stage of the beneficial nematode Steinernema feltiae. ENTONEM tackles the pupal stages of thrips which shelter under soil and debris. It is important to ensure high moisture for a number of days to enhance efficacy of the product. The soil dwelling predatory mite MACRO-MITE (Macrochelesrobustulus) can also be applied on growing media to target thrips pupae. Besides, it also feed on eggs, larvae and pupae of sciarid flies (Sciaridae), preferring smaller larvae.

Predatory mites remain one of the most promising biological control agents for the control of thrips in roses. The generalist predator Amblyseiusswirskii such as SWIRSKI-MITE from Koppert predates, reproduces and develops on first larval instar of thrips. Additionally, it also predates on eggs and initial larvae of both greenhouse whitefly and tobacco whitefly; and is also known to feed on the younger phases of spider mites. Amblyseiuscucumerisis sometimes used to control thrips particularly in vegetable crops that produce a lot of pollen as an alternative food source; otherwise its not advisable for use in ornamental crops such as Roses. Amblyseiusswirskiiis a better option as it develops much more quickly than A.cucumeris if the prey is available. In the near future, Koppert Kenya will introduce LIMONICA (Amblydromaluslimonicus) an even more superior predator than Amblyseiusswirskii which predates on both first and second larval instar stages of thrips.

 

Role of Mechanical Methods

Although predatory mites will only target the larval stages of thrips, it is important to note that both adult and larval stages contribute to plant damage. A holistic IPM strategy for thrips management should combine predatory mites and mass trapping of the adult thrips with blue sticky traps which have an adhesive on both sides to traps insects that land on it. The traps are not only a key preventive strategy as they trap any adults before they breed, but they also take care of influx thrips before it is too late. Western flower thrips in particular has good sensitivity to UV, green-yellow and blue colour while Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci) is attracted to both blue and yellow colour. However, it is important to note that the wavelength of colour that a trap emits is key to its efficiency to attract thrips, so the trap must be of high quality. In greenhouses roses, mass trapping of thrips has been achieved by setting up blue sticky traps such as HORIVER-TR from Koppert at a rate of at least 1 card per 10m2 (1000 cards per Hectare). The cards are suspended 30 cm or less above the crop and are distributed evenly throughout the greenhouse. The use of Kairomones (thrips attractant - both males & females) in combination with sticky cards, lures thrips out of their hiding places (e.g. tightly closed plant parts like floral buds and unopened flowers) toward the sticky traps. Growers who combine sticky cards with Kairomones such as LUREM-TR from Koppert have reported that the sticky cards captured 43% more thrips compared to those without.

Growers who have successfully adopted mass trapping of thrips with sticky traps have reported that thrips control has become much easier. They have been able to reduce their thrips sprays by up-to 50%, even during the warm season when thrips pressure is high. The combination of the beneficial nematode Steinernema feltiae and soil dwelling predatory mite MACROMITE (Macrochelesrobustulus)to tackle the pupal stages of thrips, predatory mite such as Amblyseiusswirskii to deal with the larvae stages of thrips and blue sticky cards to trap the adult population drastically reduce the need for frequent insecticide sprays. Most important, growers can expect reduced flower stem losses due to thrips damage and enjoy better returns and increased market access. By Purity Kabuba& Patrick Koome

Aviv Levi is the Managing Director, Amiran Kenya Ltd, the leading agricultural solution provider in Kenya that has played a role in positioning its clients as major suppliers of floriculture and horticultural produce in the local market, Europe and the rest of the world. The company has done this by ensuring that farmers in Kenya have access to world class innovations ranging from chemicals, fertilizers, seeds, modern irrigation systems, high quality greenhouse models, plastics and covers in addition to services such as training and agro-support.

Since his arrival to Amiran, Aviv and his team have worked tirelessly to better position the company as the market leader in almost all agricultural crop sectors , as well as leading in the introduction of new innovations and services all geared towards uplifting its clientele.

Small-scale flower farming in the country was not given much emphasis in the past but this is changing gradually as farmers from various parts of the country continue to embrace this practice supported by players in the industry. A recent visit to Kinangop area of Nyandarua County revealed that small-scale farmers have embraced flower farming and are reaping cash out of the venture.

Farmers who in the past preferred to grow traditional food crops are now moving towards summer flower production which they say is far much better in terms of income. The farmers have come together to form groups and through the help of agents they have been able to sell their flowers through the auction in the European market.

One such group, Multigrow Investments, with a total of 86 members drawn from Nyandarua, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nyeri and Murang’a counties has been cashing in from small-scale flower farming. According to Multigrow chairman Mr. Peter Murimi, the farmers sought the assistance of agents who are well versed with the market to help in marketing their products.

“We have engaged the services of agents who assist us in marketing our products through the auction in Europe. The proceeds from the sales are them divided among the farmers as per the number of the flower stems,” says Murimi.

They grow varieties such as eryngium, mobidique, allium, claspedia, mollucella, scabiosa, agapanthus, ornis, lilies among other summer flowers mostly used as fillers. Mr. Murimi said that the Blue Agapanthus has been doing exceptionally well due to its high demand on the European market.

The farmers are trained on how to take care of the plants, harvest and package them.

Mr. Murimi says that another successful variety, Claspedia, gets high demand during Mother’s Day celebrations and also to make winter bouquets. The small headed yellow flower also has a shelf life of one month and fetches an average of 0.7 Euro cents which translates to about Kshs.7 per stem. For Claspedia, a farmer harvests a 100 stems per square metre per year.

The flower which takes about 5 months from the time of planting to harvest is not affected by diseases, a factor that Mr. Murimi says is a great advantage since controlling diseases in open fields is very challenging. Another Multigrow Investments member, Mr. Peter Kinyanjui who grows Blue Agapanthus on a 1 acre piece of land says that he has no reason to look back and regret why he abandoned subsistence farming. Mr. Kinyanjui however notes that due to the fact that they are grown in open fields, the flowers are susceptible to various climatic changes. For instance, frost which at times hit most parts of the country severely affect open field flowers.

The effects of the frost are expected to reflect in the harvest season which is at its peak from March to May. During a good season, an acre of Blue Agapanthus produces approximately 1,000 stems. The farmers usually have three season of between March-May, July-August and November- December.

Other challenges facing small scale flower farming includes high cost of inputs, and transportation. Mr. Murimi says that this at times results to quality compromise. He calls on the government to help the smsll scale farmers access vehicles equipped with coolers to retain the quality during transportation to the airport. KFC Chief Executive Mrs. Jane Ngige says the Council has been supportive to the farmers especially in providing trainings on good flower production practices.

The Council also audited some smallscale groups in Kinangop and Kipipiri in Nyandarua County which revealed that the main challenge facing the growers is failure to keep records on the performance of their flowers. Mrs. Ngige reiterates that KFC is committed to help the small scale farmers, which she says has been positively contributing to poverty alleviation and youth empowerment as envisaged in the country’s Vision 2030 Blueprint.

Environmental Awareness Programme

Targeting School Children

An environmental awareness and cleanup project, targeting school children and communities living around Lake Naivasha, has been launched courtesy of Imarisha Naivasha and the Elsamere Centre for Education in Sustainability.

Dubbed the “Lake Naivasha Basin Schools Environmental Outreach and Cleanup Programme”, the one year project seeks to impart knowledge and skills on environmental protection and solid waste management among children and local communities through sponsored cleanups of shopping centres and residential areas within the Basin.

“Young minds are very impressionable and that is why it is important for us to reach out to them with the message of environmental protection because they are the future custodians of the environment,” Susan, an Education Officer at Elsamere, Said

The theme of the project is “clean environment, healthy lives.” The organizers chose Kamere village as a launching pad for the project. The event attracted hundreds of participants including learners from four different schools, representatives from Non Governmental Organizations, government agencies, private businesses, local authorities and community based organizations. Over 200 pupils drawn from Sher Academy, Sher Moi School, Maua primary school and Mvuke primary schools attended the event which was funded by Imarisha. KenGen and Finlays donated trucks which were used to transport the collected waste.

Various stakeholders like KenGen, Elsamere, NEMA, Finlays and Kwa- Muhia Environmental Group were ably represented. Kongoni Assistant County Commissioner, Mr. John Victor Opondo and Hells Gate location Assistant Chief represented the Nakuru County Government.

The Naivasha sub-county environment officer Mr. Sammy Ngigi was also in attendance.

Speaking during the event, Mr. Opondo pledged his support to the project, saying that it would benefit the community and commended Imarisha Naivasha and Elsamere for their great work as sponsors.

“We know Imarisha has done a good job in Kwa Muhia and seeing them here is therefore reassuring. Kamere will now be a different place free of uncollected garbage thanks to this project. We would like to see this replicated in other villages as well,” he said. Floriculture