Agronomist Mwai KE

03/06/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧?

Do you have the September through November season fruits already growing on your trees? It is your duty to protect them.

Every fruit lost from this point forward is a direct reduction in your potential harvest. This is the stage where farmers should become more aggressive with monitoring and protection. Fruit fly traps and False Codling Moth (FCM) traps should already be installed and maintained properly.

Do not wait until you start seeing damaged fruits. Pest management is most effective when populations are suppressed before economic damage occurs. Regular scouting is equally important. Walk through the orchard, inspect fruits, leaves, and branches, and act early whenever disease or pest pressure is detected.

Copper-based fungicides remain important at this stage in managing fungal diseases such as scab and other disease challenges that can compromise fruit quality.

Top-dressing application is critical in supporting fruit development and maintaining tree health. Potassium, calcium, and phosphorus are among the key elements required during this period.

However, understand that nutrient application should not be based on guesswork. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝.

By this stage, pruning should have been completed. A well-structured canopy allows adequate light pe*******on, improves spray coverage, enhances air circulation, and reduces disease pressure. Removing unnecessary and low-lying branches also ensures that nutrients and energy are directed towards productive growth and fruit development rather than maintaining excess vegetation.

Agronomist Mwai KE

01/06/2026

Avocado Sunblotch Viroid (𝐀𝐒𝐁𝐕𝐝)

01/06/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

Farmers, do not get excited when you see your young seedling or tree that is barely two years old producing flowers that will later develop into fruits. Instead, help the plant by removing those flowers, unless the tree is strong enough with adequate foliage, sturdy branches, and a well-established root system.

A young avocado tree is still building its foundation. Every flower and developing fruit becomes a major consumer of energy, competing directly with root development, canopy formation, and branch growth. When fruits are allowed too early, the tree diverts valuable sugars and nutrients away from the structures that will determine its long-term productivity.

Early fruiting often results in slower growth, weaker canopies, and delayed orchard establishment. In some cases, the weight of developing fruits can even bend or break immature branches.

Allow the tree to first develop a strong root system, a dense canopy, and a solid framework of branches.

Agronomist Mwai KE

26/05/2026

Farmers, mine is to remind you that mulching goes beyond moisture retention.

Yes, moisture is essential because microbial life and decomposition demand water. No moisture = no breakdown = no life.

But if you have a long-term investment plan, especially in orchard farming, mulch should not only be viewed as a water conservation tool.

Always mulch to protect the soil from direct sun exposure and erosion. Bare soil is constantly under attack from heat, wind, and runoff. With time, the top fertile layer disappears silently.

Mulching also helps suppress weeds, reducing unnecessary competition around the root zone. This minimises soil disturbance caused by repeated tilling or hand pulling of weeds, practices that interfere with soil structure and microbial activity.

Mulch, even with drip irrigation

Agronomist Mwai KE

25/05/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐨

Stop protecting branches simply because they are green. A branch hanging too close to the ground interferes with airflow, traps humidity beneath the canopy, and creates an environment that favours disease development. During rains, these branches receive direct soil splash, mud contamination, and prolonged moisture contact that the upper canopy rarely experiences.

Fruit-bearing low branches continue bending downward, bringing fruits into contact with soil, weeds, mulch, and standing moisture. This increases bruising, rots, physical damage, and unnecessary fruit losses before harvest.

Understand that pruning is structural management. The tree performs better when energy is directed into a balanced, elevated, and well-aerated canopy rather than maintaining weak lower growth that contributes little long term value.

Once the unwanted lower branches are removed, allow the tree to reorganise its growth naturally.

Agronomist Mwai KE

25/05/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫

Farmers, the white Ooze after pruning is not canker disease, it’s healing. No fungicide or “dawa” is needed. Give the tree time. It will heal itself. It too has a system that it follows.

Stop taking any action when you see a white substance oozing from the cut area. The first thought must not be a disease, especially canker disease that has similar physical look. This fear has led many unnecessary spraying, painting, or applying chemicals the tree never ask for.

Understand that that white ooze is part of the tree’s natural wound-healing process. After pruning, the tree releases sap rich in protective compounds to seal the wound and reduce the chances of infection. It is the tree responding exactly the way it was designed to.

What only matters is how the pruning was done. When pruning, ensure you use sharp, sanitised tools. Prune during dry weather. Avoid making careless tears or rough cuts. Once that is done, allow the tree to recover naturally. Constant interference only stresses the tree further.

A healthy tree has its own biological system for healing. Your role as a farmer is not to fight the process, but to support it through proper orchard hygiene and correct management.

Agronomist Mwai KE

22/05/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭

Dry, crusted, lifeless soil can recover again. I have seen farms turn dusty ground into dark, fertile, productive soil within one season through simple organic practices.

Apply 3–5cm of compost or well-aged manure around the canopy area, then cover the soil heavily using dry grass, leaves, or any available mulch. A thick mulch layer protects moisture, reduces heat stress, and slowly feeds soil organisms.

Avoid disturbing the soil constantly. Excessive tilling destroys soil structure and exposes microbial life to heat and dryness. Let the organisms rebuild the soil naturally underground.

You can also reintroduce life into the soil by applying small amounts of healthy forest soil. These help restore beneficial microbial activity.

Never leave soil bare. Bare soil loses moisture quickly, overheats, and becomes biologically inactive. Keep the ground covered at all times.

Plant something immediately, even cover crops. Living roots feed microbes continuously and improve soil structure naturally.

Agronomist Mwai KE

21/05/2026

I do not believe in shortcut in avocado Farming

As an agronomist, I have witnessed over years that strong orchards are built through systems that remain productive for years, not just seasons.

I pay close attention to soil health, root development, water management, canopy balance, and long-term tree performance because that is what determines whether a farm survives or struggles later.

I believe trees should be developed correctly from the beginning, not “fixed” after damage has already been created.

I believe water must be respected, soil must continuously improve, and orchard management must reduce dependence on excessive inputs over time. Farm designs that reduce dependence on inputs instead of increasing it.

I have seen farms fail because they were built for speed instead of sustainability. I have also seen disciplined farmers build orchards that become stronger, healthier, and more profitable every season.

Agronomist Mwai KE

20/05/2026

Here, the farmer believed that creating a large outer basin around the planting area would help harvest and retain water for the seedling. At the center of that basin, a much deeper hole had been prepared where the avocado seedling was to be planted.

While the intention was to increase water availability, this method creates a serious problem for avocado establishment.

Avocado trees do not perform well in flooded or poorly drained planting beds. They require well-aerated soils where excess water drains away from the root zone quickly. Deep planting inside a water-collecting basin exposes the roots to prolonged moisture conditions, reducing oxygen availability and creating a favorable environment for root rot diseases.

Avocados thrive better on raised beds or properly drained planting sites rather than sunken holes designed to trap water. Excess water around the stem and roots weakens the plant and can easily lead to seedling death, especially during the first few months after transplanting.

The intercrop choice was also unsuitable. Maize is a heavy feeder and competes aggressively for nutrients and moisture. In most cases, avocado seedlings lose that competition, resulting in poor establishment and slow development.

During the pollen stage, maize also releases large amounts of pollen that can clog avocado leaf stomata, interfering with normal plant functioning.

In addition, maize attracts thrips, pests that are highly attracted to sugary pollen and later shift to feeding on avocado tissues.

Don't plant in such a hole
Don't intercrop with maize or any grass family plant
Do either maize or Avocado, give up one!

19/05/2026

Don't plant in such a hole
Don't intercrop with maize or any grass family plant
Do either maize or Avocado, give up one!