Introduction
Entomology Unit deals with teaching, research and outreach in plant insect biology, diversity, ecology and behavior, pest management and virus transmission by insects and management. The Unit services courses in the mother Department and Faculty of Agriculture and plays a major role in M.Sc. Crop Protection. The Unit is conducting research in postharvest insect management in grains, molecular diagnostics of viruses in passion fruit, potato and maize, impact of climate change on avocado pest dynamics and integrated pest management in snap beans and other vegetable crops.
Career opportunities exist in agricultural research institution, agricultural firms, environmental firms, agricultural firms, agricultural extension service, agricultural and environmental consultancy services institutions, agrochemical firms, tertiary institutions and agribusiness.
Brief history
Entomology as a subject has been taught in the Faculty of Agriculture since 1970 when the B.Sc. Agriculture program started. This course was originally taught by lecturers from the School of Biological Sciences at Chiromo Campus as the Faculty of Agriculture had no resident Entomology lecturers of its own. The pioneer Lecturers who taught entomology courses were celebrated scholars led by Prof. Thomas Odhiambo and Prof. Khamala. In the late 1970s Agricultural Entomology Unit under the leadership of the two aforementioned professors was moved to the Faculty of Agriculture but the move was short-lived as they soon after went back to the School of Biological Sciences at Chiromo Campus. For most of the 1980s Entomology courses were taught by Prof. Gideon Nyamasio from the School of Biological Sciences.
In recognition of the need to build own capacity in the entomology discipline, the Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection (formerly Department of Crop Science) recruited its first Agricultural Entomologist, Prof. Florence M. Olubayo, from the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL), Nairobi, in December 1988. Prof. Olubayo taught Entomology courses with Prof. Nyamasio till 1992 when Prof. John H. Nderitu who was also then working at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL). After the review of the B.Sc. Agriculture in 2003 and introduction of new programmes such as B.Sc. Agricultural Education and Extension, more entomology courses were introduced and the need for more entomology lecturers increased. Two more academic staff were later recruited to ensure that the Department cope with teaching load. There was also recruitment of technologists in 1990 and 2003 to provide back-up to the lecturers particularly in handling practicals.
Postgraduate training in Agricultural Entomology was only carried out at the School of Biological Sciences which offered M.Sc. in Agricultural Entomology. Graduates of our B.Sc. Agriculture programmes used to enroll in this programme. Prof. Olubayo, for example, is a graduate of the M.Sc. Agricultural Entmology Programme. In 1997, the Department of Crop Protection was hived off the Department of Crop Science and this heralded spectacular improvements in postgraduate training in entomology in the Department. The Department of Crop Protection created M.Sc. Crop Protection in which Agricultural entmology was created as an area of specialization. Entomology specialization has become very popular with students and therefore the Department has trained many specialists in agricultural entomology. Dr. Dora Kilalo and Dr. Faith Toroitich who are Agricultural Entomology lecturers in the Department were among the pioneer graduates who specialized in agricultural entomology while taking M.Sc. Crop Protection.
Apart from passion fruit research, I teach agriculture entomology and Crop pest management to the undergraduate and post graduate students. In addition I mentor my students to work diligently and obtain quality outputs that would make them stand out of the crowd and be recognized and as an AWARD alumnus (2008), I am working at influencing (mentoring) as many women students as possible to build and anchor their careers in agriculture so that together we can fight food insecurity not only in Kenya but in Africa. Hopefully this will help reduce the leakage in the pipe between enrolling and the numbers we have on the ground attending to agriculture research and dissemination of the information.Read more
Dr. Dora Chao, Phd (UoN) MSc (UoN) BSc (UoN)
An Agricultural Scientist and Associate Professor with emphasis in Integrated Crop Pest management, Post harvest pest management and Agricultural Technology transfer. I have wide research experience in crop protection systems as a result of own research and that with graduate students, I am familiar with the major crops and livestock production systems in the country.Read more
Prof Florence Olubayo, PhD( Newcastle) MSc(UoN) BSc(UoN)
Prof John Huria Nderitu Agricultural Entomologist/IPM/crop Protection /Organic Agriculture and an Associate Professor, University of Nairobi.
Prof Nderitu obtained his Ph.D 1990 in Agricultural Entomology from the University of Dar es salaam, an M.Sc Agricultural Entomology in 1984 from the University of Nairobi and BEd Science (Zoology, Botany and Education) in 1978 from the University of Nairobi.Read more
Prof. John Huria Nderitu Phd (Dar) MSc (UoN) BSc (UoN)
Mr. Joel A. Aura is currently Chief Technologist in the department of Plant Science and Crop Protection charged with the responsibility of overall coordination of technical and administrative matters in the department. He was promoted to Chief technologist position in March 2010. Read more
Mr.Joel Aura
Joseph Wagura Kariuki/ Senior Technologist, Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya read more
Mr. Joseph Wagura Kariuki
