May I take this opportunity to introduce to you the Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection. The vision of the department is 'To be a leading and vibrant centre of excellence for training, research, development, preservation and dissemination of knowledge in Crop Sciences and Environmental Conservation'. This Website provides a snapshot of the activities of the department and a highlight of its achievements.
The Department is structured into two sections: Crop Science and Crop Protection. The Crop Science section is composed of Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Horticulture and Biometry thematic units; Crop Protection Section is made up of Plant Pathology and Entomology Units. Each of the units is endowed with highly qualified academic and technical support staff. The proportion of academic staff with terminal degrees (PhDs) currently stands at 80% while a good number of the technical staff hold undergraduate Masters degrees in relevant fields. Most of the staff members have long-standing experience in research and teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The academic prowess of the staff is continuing to be sharpened and upgraded through Sabbatical leave and exchange programmes with other institutions in Africa and beyond.
The department has unlimited access to irrigated land for field-based research and greenhouses for controlled experimentation. The laboratory infrastructure is moderately equipped and undergoes continuous upgrading.
A visit through our Departmental website will share with you critical information on the academic programs at various levels, staff profiles, national and international collaborators, E-resources such as Digital Repository Portal, E-learning Portal, the University library and a media centre among others. In addition, the Department offers a comprehensive range of services to the greater Kenyan community. These include (and not limited to): Advisory and Consultancy service to farmers and other stakeholders; Tailor-made courses, Outreach services, Production of manuals and other capacity-building tools.
These sites on this web-page will provide an insight into the outputs of intense research being conducted by staff, mainly in terms of publications and is a reflection of the rich intellectual discourse that aims at removing impediments to sustainable and profitable crop production and productivity along different value chains. Given that Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, the academic programs in the department are aligned to Kenya's developmental agenda and by extension, regional and continental commitments and aspirations. Significant breakthroughs have been made particularly in Diagnostics of Crop Pests and Diseases, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Crop Improvement, Biotechnology, Appropriate Crop Husbandry and Post-harvest Technologies. These milestones have been achieved largely through profitable local and international partnerships that have been forged between scientists and institutions.
A chance for you to provide feedback and inquiries on any item of interest has been provided, and you are welcome to interact with us. We believe your comments will go a long way to encouraging us to improve and excel beyond the current levels.
I wish to conclude by thanking all members of staff and students for their hard work, resilience and focus that have enabled the Department to maintain its enviable position in the Faculty of Agriculture and the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. We, as a team, aspire to continuously innovate in the way we teach, learn and conduct research in order to remain at the cutting age and to incorporate new benchmarks and frontiers never witnessed before.
