Development and assessment of nematode resistant potato cultivars for East Africa (Kenya)

Potato is the second most important crop in Kenya and is grown for food and as a source of income. The vast majority of growers in Kenya are smallholder farmers. Pests and diseases cause huge losses to crop production across the world, including Kenya. Potato production in Kenya is being seriously impacted by an emerging introduced pathogen, the Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN). This proof of concept proposal aims to demonstrate that potato cultivars that combine the quality traits favoured by Kenyan growers and the women who are responsible for the majority of food preparation in rural Kenya, with resistance to the predominant PCN species present in Kenya, represent a valid target for breeding programmes and subsequent commercialisation.