Growing temperate fruit trees in Kenya

The cultivation of temperate fruit trees in Kenya dates back to the arrival of European settlers who brought with them the species they grew and consumed in Europe. Efforts to grow temperate fruit trees—which include apples, plums, peaches/nectarines and pears—can thus be traced back over a century. Many cultivars, as well as different types of rootstock, were introduced, observed and evaluated. Although the cooler highlands with a climate more-or-less similar to that of the temperate zones were an obvious choice for the cultivation of temperate fruit trees, soon a number of problems emerged: Insufficient chilling in most locations resulted in poor bud-break; Lack of temperate-zone seasonality resulted in a deficiency in the heat units needed for the production of good quality fruits; In some locations, high humidity promoted the spread of fungal and bacterial diseases as well as the proliferation of lichens and parasitic plants. Despite these constraints, over the years it has been demonstrated that—within certain limitations—temperate fruit trees, including grapes, can be grown quite successfully in the cool, tropical highlands in Kenya. However, the further removed a crop is grown from its optimum environment, the greater is the skill required in the fruit grower. Local observation and experience have indicated the types/cultivars of temperate fruits best adaptated to specific local environments—indeed, some cultivars have shown themselves to be satisfactory under quite diverse ecologies

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