Novel polymer-based technologies to reduce waste and enhance incomes for smallholder and commercial Fine bean growers in Kenya

在肯尼亚，农业部门对GDP的贡献率为29.3%，占全国就业的80%。肯尼亚出口到欧盟和英国的优质豆类占所有蔬菜的70%，占园艺出口的21%。大约60%的精豆出口是由5万名肯尼亚小农户生产的，他们是商业农场的外植者。它是一种极具潜力的作物，可以解决该地区的粮食不安全、创收和减贫问题。总产量约为62,400吨/年，但加上60%的包装(40%为废品)，总出口量约为37,400吨/年。在这些废品中，有25%是通过雨淋来‘浇灌’豆子的。这是由于植物病原体飞溅转移造成的直接产量损失，以及真菌和细菌病原体造成的豆类品质缺陷。潜伏感染还可能导致收获后进一步的贮藏损失。该项目将实施基于阴离子聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)的喷雾创新，以最大限度地减少污染。这将减少产量损失和浪费，增加农业收入。将在VegPro肯尼亚的商业农场和选定的种植者进行田间验证。通过VegPro现有的知识交流途径进行有效传播将促进供应到VegPro的5,000名小农户迅速采用

In Kenya, the agriculture sector contributes 29.3% to GDP and accounts for 80 % of national employment. Kenyan exports of fine beans to the EU and UK account for 70% of all vegetables and 21% of horticultural exports. About 60% of fine bean exports are produced by >50,000 Kenyan smallholder farmers acting as outgrowers for commercial farms. It is a crop with great potential to address food insecurity, income generation and poverty alleviation in the region. Total production is approximately 62,400 t p.a., however with 60% pack-out (40% rejects) total exports are circa 37,400 t p.a. ‘Soiling’ of beans via rainsplash accounts for >25% of these rejects. This is due to direct yield losses associated with splash transfer of plant pathogens and bean quality defects due to fungal and bacterial pathogens. Latent infection can also result in further post-harvest storage losses. This project will implement spray innovations based on anionic polyacrylamides (PAM) to minimise soiling. This will reduce yield losses & wastage and increase farm income. Field validation will be undertaken on Vegpro Kenya’s commercial farms and with selected outgrowers. Effective dissemination through Vegpro’s existing knowledge exchange pathways will facilitate rapid adoption by 5,000 smallholders that supply into Vegpro