For smallholder farmers

Better yields start with the right knowledge

Free practical guides on growing bananas and sweet potatoes in Kenya. Written by a plant breeder and virologist with 30 years working alongside farmers.

What's in the guides

The banana guide covers everything from choosing the right variety for your region to managing pests, harvesting at the right time, and handling the crop after harvest.

Varieties

Which varieties to grow: dessert and cooking types, matched to your region and altitude.

Set up

How to set up and manage your orchard, including spacing, watering, and fertiliser schedules.

Identify and control

How to identify and control the diseases and pests most likely to affect your crop.

Post-harvest handling

Post-harvest handling to protect the quality of what you've grown.

Average yields

35–45 tonnes per hectare per year with the right management.

The sweet potato guide covers these improved varieties orange, yellow, white and purple. It takes you step by step through planting, management, disease control and harvesting.

Varieties

Which improved variety suits your soil type, altitude and rainfall. And which ones are drought resistant.

Set up

Step-by-step planting on ridges or mounds, with correct vine preparation and spacing.

Disease management

How to manage weevils, viruses and fungal disease including low-cost practical controls.

Post-harvest handling

When and how to harvest, and how to store the crop to extend its shelf life.

Average yields

60–100 bags per acre with the right variety and management.

About the guides

Hi, I’m Laura Karanja, a plant breeder and virologist with a PhD and over 30 years of hands-on experience working with smallholder farmers across Kenya. I’ve developed and released five improved sweet potato varieties, identified six isolates of viruses affecting banana crops in Kenya, and led cassava virus diagnostics across the region. During that time, I worked with organisations including Kenya Market Trust, the International Potato Center, AGRA, Egerton University, the Rockefeller Foundation and QUT.

Laura Karanja

Plant Breeder and Virologist, Author

The information in these guides comes directly from that experience. And from the farmers who shared their knowledge along the way.

Get the free guides

Click any of the covers to download either the English or Kiswahili versions of the guide for free. And if you get stuck with anything in them, feel free to reach out by clicking on the button below.