Murang’a: It is minutes to noon when we embark on a journey from a vibrant trade of consumer goods in Kangari town to Mariira village in Kigumo Sub-county, Murang’a County tens of kilometers away. We drive through a road characterized by hills, rivers, and valleys which play a critical role in agricultural activities.
According to Kenya News Agency, we are met by John Ndirangu, a small-scale farmer who uprooted napier grass from a section of his farm and opted to grow kales (Sukuma wiki) and other types of vegetables to meet his family’s nutrition needs. His farm, located up a small hill, spans about 1.4 hectares and is divided into sections for farming tea, maize, kales, vegetables, onions, rosemary, coriander, and raising livestock and poultry. Ndirangu attributes his healthy produce to a new technology introduced by the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) called vegetable push-pull technology under the AGROVEG project in 2024.
AGROVEG stands for Intensified Agroecological-based cropping systems to enhance food security, environmental safety, and income for smallholder producers of crucifers and traditional African vegetables in East Africa. Ndirangu explains that after learning about the benefits of consuming healthy vegetables, he decided to implement this technology, which has proven beneficial for his family. The technology allows for natural pest management without using chemicals, thus improving soil fertility and reducing costs.
Dr. Edward Karanja, an Agriculture and Climate Change Theme Scientist at icipe, explains that the vegetable push-pull technology is an agroecological innovation that adapts conventional push-pull systems used for maize and cereals to suit crops like kales, which face pest and disease challenges. By intercropping kales with plants like rosemary and coriander, pests are managed effectively.
In Murang’a and Kiambu counties, the AGROVEG project benefits smallholder farmers by reducing vegetable damage and increasing productivity. The project, funded by the Biovision Foundation, aims to improve food and nutrition security for over 3,232 farm households, targeting women who are significant producers of horticultural crops.
Njeri Chege, another project beneficiary, uses the technology to grow kales, spinach, and other vegetables, improving her family’s nutrition and providing produce for sale. The initiative aligns with Murang’a County’s efforts to transform agriculture through agroecology, as outlined in the Murang’a Agroecology Policy 2022-2032 and the Murang’a County Agroecology Development Act, 2022.
Biovision Africa Trust supports these efforts by educating and training farmers in agroecology practices. Officer Sarah Karanja highlights that over 200 farmers have been reached with information on integrated pest management through various outreach programs, demonstrating the positive adoption of push-pull technology.
The push-pull technology offers an eco-friendly method of pest and disease management, improving soil health, farm biodiversity, and farmer income. It presents a sustainable solution for Murang’a farmers, enhancing food security, environmental safety, and income generation.