On Assignment: Kenya by Michael Major

Eight-day photo assignment in Nairobi and western Kenya documenting a finger miller pre-breeding project and the ICRAF genebank. June 2018.

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572721

Kenya-1

Abraham Choti, a lab technician at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, examines a cassava sprout which has been stored in a growth chamber with elevated temperatures which help remove viruses from the shoot apical meristem. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572725

Kenya-2

IITA’s Morag Ferguson and her team are eliminating viruses from cassava germplasm so that it can safely be transported from Kenya to IITA’s main genebank in Nigeria. Morag’s team is working with KEPHIS, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, to develop protocols that will lead to ensuring cassava germplasm is free of diseases and can be stored in genebanks so that we can safeguard cassava diversity forever. In photo, Theresa Nyokabi of KEPHIS holds a rack of tubes in the growth room. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572722

Kenya-3

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572724

Kenya-4

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572726

Kenya-5

Plucking tea at Unilever plantation in Kericho, Kenya. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572727

Kenya-6

Farmer Mary Kwena Two of Kakamega County shows off a handful of her recently harvested finger millet. She first started growing finger millet after learning from Mary One, her co-wife, who participated on a pilot project led by Dr. Chrispus Oduori. Both Marys have continued to grow the crop long after the project ended. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572728

Kenya-7

Matungu Sub-County of Kakamega County. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572729

Kenya-8

Matungu Sub-County of Kakamega County. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572732

Kenya-9

The Crop Trust’s Dr. Benjamin Kilian travelled to Kakamega County in Western Kenya with the Crop Wild Relatives' finger millet pre-breeding partner, Dr. Chrispus Oduori, the Centre Director of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation - KALRO in Kisii. They spoke to farmers who shared their experience in growing finger millet including Margaret Kubende who planted finger millet more than 20 years ago when all of her neighbour farmers planted maize. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572731

Kenya-10

The Crop Trust’s Dr. Benjamin Kilian (right) with the Crop Wild Relatives projects’s finger millet pre-breeding partner, Dr. Chrispus Oduori and Margaret Kubende, a farmer, in her finger millet field in Kakamega County in Western Kenya. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572730

Kenya-11

Finger millet in Kakamega County in Western Kenya. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572736

Kenya-12

Finger millet can withstand cultivation at altitudes over 2000 m above sea level, has high drought tolerance, and high levels of micronutrients. Pictured are panicles of Maridadi, one of the finger millet varieties released by Dr. Chrispus Oduori. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572733

Kenya-13

Eric Manyasa, Scientist – Breeding (Dryland Cereals). Sorghum near Kakemega County, Kenya. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572735

Kenya-14

Finger millet pre-breeding partner, Professor Mathews Dida, at Maseno University in western Kenya. Prof. Dida is screening crop wild relatives of finger millet for resistance to blast. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572734

Kenya-15

KALRO-Kisii. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572738

Kenya-16

KALRO-Kisii. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572743

Kenya-17

ICRISAT’s Samuel Manthi Josiah examines a Petri dish with a blast culture. The finger millet pre-breeding project is focusing on introducing beneficial traits from Crop Wild Relatives which show resistance/tolerance to blast and Striga. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572744

Kenya-18

ICRISAT’s Samuel Manthi Josiah preparing for DNA extraction. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572742

Kenya-19

Alice Muchugi, Genebank Manager. ICARF Nairobi. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572740

Kenya-20

'Gliricidia sepium', native to Mexico and Central America, is the quintessential multipurpose tree. It is highly suitable in agroforestry systems due to its nitrogen-fixing properties and leaves that can be used for mulch and green manure. It is probably the most common living fence species in the tropics. The ICRAF genebank holds about 215 accessions of Gliricidia sourced mainly from its native region. In order to promote germination, the seed must be nipped using a nail cutter. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572741

Kenya-21

The seeds of the baobab are covered with a whitish-pink, dry, acidic pulp that is high in Vitamin C and makes a nice juice. Agnes Were, a laboratory assistant at ICRAF’s genebank in Nairobi displays an open baobab fruit. The seeds are soaked in water to remove the pulp. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572739

Kenya-22

ICRISAT’s Dr. Damaris Odeny is the principal investigator of a five-year finger millet pre-breeding project and focuses on genotyping finger millet samples. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572769

Kenya-23

ICRISAT’s Samuel Manthi Josiah preparing blast culture. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572772

Kenya-24

ICRISAT’s Damaris Odeny. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572771

Kenya-25

Performing purity analysis of 'Acacia senegal' or gum arabic. This drought tolerant native of Africa is well known for its resin which is used in the food industry as a stabilizer. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

https://michaelmajor.slickpic.com/albums/On-Assignment-Kenya/photo/#17572770

Kenya-26

Simon Kang’ethe, genebank database officer, conducts seed characterization of Annona squamosa using the Marvin5 seed analyser. The Marvin5 helps genebank staff to count and measure (length, width and shape) seeds quickly. Photo: Michael Major/Crop Trust

Kenya-1 46 views

Kenya-2 46 views

Kenya-3 46 views

Kenya-4 46 views

Kenya-5 46 views

Kenya-6 46 views

Kenya-7 46 views

Kenya-8 46 views

Kenya-9 46 views

Kenya-10 47 views

Kenya-11 46 views

Kenya-12 46 views

Kenya-13 46 views

Kenya-14 46 views

Kenya-15 46 views

Kenya-16 15 views

Kenya-17 15 views

Kenya-18 15 views

Kenya-19 15 views

Kenya-20 15 views

Kenya-21 15 views

Kenya-22 15 views

Kenya-23 15 views

Kenya-24 15 views

Kenya-25 18 views

Kenya-26 15 views

Scroll To Top