Wheat is 2nd most important cereal crop after maize:

• Only bread wheat is cultivated, currently
• Current area- approximately 150,000 ha/year
  • 20% of large scale farmers produce 80%
  • 80% of small scale farmers produce 20% 

Wheat is produced in three types of environments:

• High rainfall areas (example: Mau Narok and Timau)
• Acid soil areas (example: Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia)
• Low rainfall areas (Example: lower Narok and Laikipia)

Principal wheat productions constraints:

• Drought (unreliable rain seasons, terminal drought)
• Diseases and pests
  • Stem rust and yellow rust
  • Russian wheat aphids and BYDV
• Acid soil
• Lodging and pre-harvest sprouting
• Quality

KARI wheat improvement objective:

Develop wheat varieties that are widely adapted, high yielding, tolerant/resistant to both abiotic and biotic stresses and with acceptable end use qualities.

Information extracted from presentation of Dr. Peter Njau at Wheat for Africa conference: