The International Potato Center (CIP) organized a regional potato workshop for Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) in Nairobi, Kenya in collaboration with KARI (Kenya Agriculture Research Institute) and PRAPACE (Regional Potato and Sweetpotato Improvement Network in Eastern and Central Africa) during 20–28 September 2004. Participants from research institutes of 13 SSA countries attended the workshop, which covered a wide range of subjects. A virologist, a bacteriologist and a breeder from CIP-Lima assisted the Nairobi and Kampala based CIP, KARI and PRAPACE staff in the workshop. The objective of the workshop was to discuss major constraints in potato research in SSA to improve research for development of the potato sector in SSA through sharing of experiences.

The topics covered during the workshop included potato variety development, seed production, integrated disease management and processing. Regarding late blight management ‘The state of the art and research priorities for integrated management of late blight in Sub-Saharan Africa’ was presented by Peter Gildemacher from CIP-Nairobi. Juan Landeo from CIP-Lima chaired sessions regarding breeding for late blight resistance, opportunities to reduce the length of the variety development process and the usefulness of analysis of GxE (genotype by environment) interactions in potato breeding and variety selection. All participating countries presented reports on their research programs and the main constraints in potato research were discussed and solutions were sought within the experience of the participants.