International Phytosanitary Conference

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Richard Lesiyampe (centre)

KEPHIS MD Dr. Esther Kimani (right)

Khamis Chome Abdi, a member of the Board of Directors (left)

12-16 September 2016. Nairobi, Kenya. Some 100 participants attended the 2016 International Phytosanitary Conference held at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) headquarters.

Mr. Klaus Gauch, the European Union 

Acting Head of Co-operation

The participants came from Botswana, Burundi, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the hosts, Kenya. There are also participants from National Plant Protection Organizations, government departments,
multinational organizations and agencies and Industry including IITA, AATF, Real IPM, Sygenta, International Flower Trade Association, Monsanto, CIMMYT, CABI as well as local and international universities.

Extracts of the programme:

• Ralf Lopian, Finland NPPO (Key note address): The initiative to declare 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health: Impacts and opportunities for authorities, private enterprises and phytosanitary research
  
  "It is anticipated that the observance of the IYPY will lead to better trade opportunities. More plant health related research activities are needed to address new challenges in plant health. It is wished that the decline in plant health research of the past years is turned around and that the IYPH will cause improved national, regional and international research coordination and a stronger prominence of plant health related research projects in national research budgets".
• Dr. Lorna Migiro and Dr. Washington Otieno, CABI Kenya: Pest surveillance and pesticide
  
  risk reduction - the role of Plantwise, an interactive system for agricultural advisory service
• AshaBakari Mohamed & Charity Mutegi (IITA): Managing sanitary barriers to trade: Controlling aflatoxin producing Aspergillusflavus S-strain in lower Eastern using atoxigenic A. flavus L-strain (Aflasafe KE01)
  
  "Efficacy of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus L-strain to manage aflatoxin production was
  
  determined by application of impregnated sorghum seeds in maize fields at seventh leaf growth stage and maize grains sampled at harvest. Maize samples had high levels (61.8%) of A. flavus S-strain than other Aspergillus species. The A. flavus S-strain isolates produced high levels of aflatoxin B1 of up to 22,000 ng/g in maize in vitro. However, field application of atoxigenic A. flavus L-strain competitively excluded the aflatoxin producing A. flavus S-strain by up to 77% and reduced aflatoxin level in the harvested maize grains by 47%. The study showed that Aflasafe KE01 is a promising biocontrol product in shifting the population of toxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi and subsequently reducing aflatoxin levels in maize."
• Dr. Henry Wainwright, Real IPM, Kenya: The role of bio-pesticides in management of
  
  Phytosanitary challenges : Real IPM Kenya‟s commercial experience in the development of a biological control programme for fruit flies for mangoes in Kenya
• Dr. Roshan Saeed Khan, WTO-STDF, Switzerland, Capacity building under STDF for phyto sanitary challenges. Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership of FAO, OIE, WHO, WTO and World Bank, to help developing countries implement international standards, meet SPS import requirements of trading partners and gain/maintain market access. The presentation focused on results of some key STDF projects in the area of plant health.  
  Related PAEPARD blog post 10/08/2016: Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)

See Book of Abstracts