Regional IPM Program for East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda

 Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM/CRSP)

The Regional Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM/CRSP) for East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will develop a shared IPM strategy to improve the productivity of higher value marketed horticultural crops in the region using a specialized program that is dedicated to ecologically based IPM research on horticultural crops. Ecological IPM is an approach to pest management that seeks to give farmers an alternative, more environmentally friendly path for sustaining high agricultural productivity.  

 The IPM/CRSP will be implemented by a consortium of U.S. and East African institutions, with The Ohio State University (OSU) serving as the lead. A coordinating unit will be (CU) will be headquartered at Makerere University Faculty of Agriculture in Uganda and include member representatives from each participating nation. It will co-ordinate IPM research, training, extension and technology dissemination activities in the region.

Objectives:

To develop a specialized, ecologically based IPM research program focused on priority pest constraints of higher value marketed horticultural crops. The research program will:

• Reduce higher-value horticultural crop losses due to pests
• Reduce the use o pesticides to minimize adverse environmental impacts
• Lower cost-of-production
• Improve food safety and quality
• Increase crop marketability and value

 These objectives will be achieved by:

       ·        Implementing a participatory approach to IPM research

·        Identifying emerging regional IPM research needs for priority horticultural crops;

·        Identifying effective IPM strategies to be shared throughout the region;

·        Developing an effective technology transfer and dissemination plan for reaching regional producers including women;

·        Developing a plan to enhance human resource capacity that will increase IPM research and training capabilities of the region;

·        Facilitating networking and institutionalization of IPM in the region.

 USA Partners

·        The Ohio State University

·        Virginia Tech

·        Tennessee State University

 Regional Partners

·        Makerere University Faculty of Agriculture

·        The Ugandan National Agricultural Research Organization

·        Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)

·        Egerton University

·        Sokoine University of Agriculture

·        Tanzanian Coffee Research Institute

 International Partners

·        The World Vegetable Center

·        International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology

The Ohio State University     College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences        Office of International Education