Past, Current and Future of Wheat Diseases in Kenya

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important cereal and is among the crops that contribute significantly to food security in Kenya. However, wheat diseases are among the biotic factors that affect wheat production. Considerable progress has been made to control wheat diseases through host plant resistance breeding and chemical applications. Frequent changes in the pathogens population still present a major challenge to achieving durable resistance. Disease surveillance and monitoring of the pathogens have revealed the changes in virulence across the region, justifying the need to develop and deploy more efficient and sustainable strategies to manage the diseases. Understanding the genetic variability and composition of the diseases is important for variety release with appropriate resistance gene combinations for sustainable disease management. This review highlights the prevalence, distribution of wheat diseases, host plant resistance in the key wheat-growing regions of Kenya, and future prospects in Kenya.