Crop Information

APPLES (MALUS DOMESTICA) Apples are hardy deciduous temperate fruit trees in the rose family Rosaceae that originated in Western Asia. The apple tree is small (3-12 metres height)…

Avocado is an evergreen tree belonging to the Lauraceae family that is native to Central Mexico. The fruit is highly nutritious with a high protein content and cholesterol…

BANANA (MUSA SPP) Banana is a perennial tropical herbaceous plant consisting of an underground stem (corm) and a trunk (pseudo-stem) comprised of concentric layers of…

DRY BEANS) (Phaseolus sp) Introduction In Kenya beans are the most important pulse. They rank second to maize in importance as a food crops. The crop…

CABBAGE (BRASSICA OLERACEAE VAR CAPITA) Cabbage belongs to the Brassica family. It originated in the Mediterranean and southern region. The head of the cabbage plant is made up…

CARROT (DAUCUS CARROTA) Carrots belong to the Umbelliferon family native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The plant has a thick, fleshy, deeply coloured root, which…

CITRUS (CITRUS SPP.) The cultivated citrus species belong to the family Rutacea and are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of South-East Asia. These plants are…

Cowpea is an annual herb with varying growth forms. It may be erect, trailing, climbing or bushy, usually indeterminate under favourable conditions. It is an…

CUSTARD APPLE (ANNONA SPP) Common names: Custard-apple, sugar-apple, sweetsop Custard-apple is a common name used for any of various Annona species of small trees or shrubs of…

French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) belong to the Fabaceae family and are bred and cultivated for their pods and seeds. Although the crop has a low consumption rate…

GRAPES (VITIS SPP.) It is a temperate crop and therefore limited in production by tropical climatic factors. Grapes are divided into three main classes depending…

GREEN GRAMS) (VIGINA SPP) MANUAL Introduction Green gram is an erect annual plant which grows to a height of 60-70 cm tall. Pods  contain 10 to 15…

GUAVA (PSIDIUM GUYUVA) Guavas originated from South America. They are plants in the family (Myrtaceae) genus (Psidium). It is a large dicotyledonous shrub, or small…

JACKFRUIT (ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS) Jackfruit tree is a species of the mulberry family (Moraceae). It originated in Asia, but it is now widespread in other parts of the…

MACADAMIA (MACADAMIA SPP.)   Macadamia is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. The nuts are native to south eastern Queensland,…

MAIZE (Zea mays) Maize. is the staple food in most farming areas and it is grown under diverse conditions of climate, soils and altitude. Maize…

MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA) The mango tree is native to southern Asia. It is an ever green tree in the family of Anacardiaceae. Its height varies according…

MULBERRY (MORUS ALBA) Mulberry is a flowering plants in the family of Moraceae. Immature fruits are white or green to pale yellow with pink edges. In…

Onions (Allium cepa) Onion is herbaceous biennial plant of the family Alliaceae family grown as an annual. The leaf bases swell to form the underground…

PASSION FRUITS (Passiflora edulis) Passion fruit is in the family Passifloraceae. It is a vigorous vine which flowers and produces fruits within a year. The vine…

PAWPAW (CARICA PAPAYA) The pawpaw is a native of tropical America. It belongs to the family Caricaceae and is a widely cultivated fruit tree in the tropics…

Peaches (Prunus persica) Introduction Common names: English: Nectarine The peach tree is native to China and belongs to the family Rosaceae. It is a deciduous tree growing…

Pineapples (Ananas comosus) Introduction Pineapple is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Bromeliaceae. It is native to South America, but is currently grown throughout the…

Plums (Prunus spp) Introduction Plums are placed within the Prunoideae subfamily of the Rosaceae family which contains all the stone fruits such as peach, cherry and apricot. There are over…

PUMPKINS (Cucurbita pepo) Pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae. The plant is believed to have originated in North…

STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA SPP) Strawberry belongs to the family Rosaceae. In Kenya the strawberry species most popularly grown is Fragaria vesca variety Ananassa. The strawberry plant is a low perennial growing above…

Tomatoes Production in Kenya Smallholder tomato farming in Kenya remains dominated by older men despite efforts by the government NGOs to encourage women and youth…

WATER MELON (CITRULUS LANATUS) Watermelon belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin, and other plants that also grow on vines on…