2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Growing fruits and nuts offers tremendous opportunities for enhancing the incomes of small-scale farming families in Kenya, and for improving the nutrition of the poor who currently suffer from deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients because of low consumption of these foods. Macadamia nuts and fruit trees are popular crops but having issues sustaining production. The Good Neighbors Community Project (GNCP), a women-run community based organization in Naitiri, Bungoma district. The main objective of the volunteer assignment is to build the capacity of GNCP selected farmer trainers through a Training of Trainers mechanism (TOT) on macadamia propagation and grafting, nursery management, and good agronomic practices for high production. Hands on training, live demonstrations, field visits and classroom lectures performed to give multiple viewpoints of how to improve grafting practices in macadamia. Grafting tools, side wedge, veneer and cleft grafting procedures demonstrated on macadamia. Seedbed preparation, pruning and grafting techniques, rootstock and scion selection, natural pest control and good agricultural practices topics discussed to maintain a successful orchard. Increased knowledge and understanding of grafting, fruit tree propagation, pruning and how these techniques affects farm production were among the immediate impacts recorded from the training. Total two hundred sixteen participants (male and female) benefitted from the training.