Publication in Journal of Chemical Ecology
A recent study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology (JCE) by scientists from icipe and Rothamsted International showed that maize varieties popular with small-holder farmers in East Africa, when attacked by stemborers, produce volatiles that attract the pests’ natural enemies. Moreover, the cover of the March 2012 issue of JCE shows a farmer’s push-pull field from Kisumu district in western Kenya... ..More

Award honours key figure in African science
An award for outstanding achievements by African scientists has been created in memory of Thomas Odhiambo, the Kenyan scientist who helped found the African Academy of Sciences and TWAS (The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World). Odhiambo, who died in 2003, is regarded as a visionary whose desire for home-grown scientific solutions saw him initiate and nurture many projects at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Kenya. ..More

Prof. Zeyaur R. Khan designated as icipe’s first Thomas Odhiambo Distinguished Research Fellow
icipe –African Insect Science for Food and Health has awarded Prof. Zeyaur R. Khan its highest honour naming him the first Thomas Risley Odhiambo Distinguished Research Fellow in recognition of outstanding achievements in the advancement of agricultural science. Prof. Khan, TRO Distinguished Research Fellow, has dedicated his 30 year career as an entomologist and agricultural scientist to advance the science and practice of entomology by studying and applying chemical ecology, behavior, plant-plant and insect-plant interactions to improve agricultural production to combat poverty and food insecurity in Africa. Following the original dream of icipe’s founding father Prof. Thomas R. Odhiambo, the work of Prof. Khan is a wonderful combination of scientific creativity and agricultural innovation that provided practical solutions for real problems of thousands of small-holder poor farmers which in turn promoted their food security and sustainable livelihoods..More

TWAS Prize for Prof. Z.R. Khan
Prof. Zeyaur R. Khan, Principal Scientist & Programme Leader; Coordinator, Push-Pull Programme, was announced as a co-winner of the TWAS Prize in Agricultural Sciences for 2011 during the Academy's 22nd General Meeting in Trieste, Italy. Prof. Khan will give a lecture about his research at TWAS's 23rd General Meeting in 2012, where he will also receive a medal and a cash award of USD 15, 000.He is recognized for his discovery and wide-scale implementation of the Push-Pull technology – a pro-poor scientific innovation for enhancing food security and environmental sustainability in Africa.More

Push-Pull Programme wins three awards for this year’s GC Scholar Prize for the best published science paper
Tamiru, A., Bruce, T.J.A., Woodcock, C.M., Caulfield, J.C., Midega, C.A.O., Ogol, C.K.P.O., Mayon, P., Birkett, M.A., Pickett, J.A., Khan, Z.R., 2011. Maize landraces recruit egg and larval parasitoids in response to egg deposition by a herbivore. Ecology Letters 14: 1075–1083. More awards

Entomological Society of America (ESA), 12th - 16th November 2011
Prof. Zeyaur Khan attended the meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) in Nevada, USA.

Eastern Africa JSPS (Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences) alumni association on ‘Africa - Japan science and technology partnership for sustainable development', 2nd - 3rd November 2011
Dr. Charles Midega attended the workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Push-Pull fields visitation in western Kenya by Prof. David S. Powlson, from Rothamsted Research, UK, 1st November 2011
A visit to Push-Pull fields in western Kenya by Prof. David S. Powlson, Prof. Zeyaur Khan and Jimmy Pittchar.

1st workshop on developing a Push-Pull approach for management of cotton pests in Africa and Northeast Brazil, 22nd - 25th October 2011
Dr. Charles Midega attended the workshop in Campina Grande, Brazil.

25th Anniversary celebrations of the World Food Prize Foundation, 11th-14th October 2011
Prof.Christian Borgemeister, Prof.Zeyaur Khan, Dr.Charles Midega, Jimmy Pittchar and Matilda Ouma attended the celebrations in Des Moines, USA. More...

Joint Conservation Agriculture Workshop of EU-Funded Projects, 29th- 30th August 2011
Joint workshop on The European Union (EU) funded conservation agriculture projects in Kenya was convened at icipe, Mbita. The workshop was organised to provide an opportunity for experience sharing and to strengthen linkages among the grantees.  The EU-Conservation Agriculture projects were; Adaptation of Push-Pull technology to climate change (ADOPT)-icipe, Conservation Agriculture Knowledge and Information Management in Africa- African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) and Kenya Dryland Farming Project (KDFP) - FARM-Africa. The Conservation Agriculture stakeholders which participated were; The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and one Acre Fund.

Seed Companies Workshop, 5th - 6th September 2011
The demand for desmodium seed is high in the East African region. This is attributed from the increased number of farmers adopting Push-Pull technology to control striga weed, stemborers, improving of soil fertility and for fodder production. Using the results of the survey conducted by icipe during Agricultural shows in 2010, about 26% of the attendants bought desmodium seeds and in 2011, 85% wanted desmodium seeds, but could not get any to buy during the same show. This increased demand for desmodium seeds has not been met with enough supply in the market. The seed companies’ workshop was convened by the Alliance of Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to discuss and deliberates on the role; seed companies National and international research institutions, Agro-dealers and farmers can play in the production and distribution of desmodium seeds to meet the ever increasing demand in the Eastern Africa region.

McKnight Midyear Review Meetings on Napier Stunt Disease and Participatory Video, 15th-16th August 2011
These two workshops were organised by the McKnight regional team to provide the Project team with basic outline of what, who, where we are. It was aimed to enable the project teams to look at the changes achieved as proposed in the projects, and if not; what could contribute to this and what can be done to address these challenges. It also provided an opportunity to discuss and share what has been done so far or to be done later. The review was meant to give the project teams an opportunity to ask Questions such as “What worked well? What could have worked better?  What do we need to change as we complete the year?” The review was conducted in an open, free and transparent atmosphere.

Significant breakthrough in protecting crops from pests (Plant science)

Africa and UK scientists make a significant breakthrough in protecting maize crops from the spotted stemborer (Chilo partellus) August 11, 2011

New fodder species being developed to replace Napier grass

Adaptation and dissemination of the Push Pull technology (ADOPT)

Scientists have invested millions to fight striga weed, Standard newspaper June 2, 2011

New natural method to tame striga weed, Standard newspaper April 13, 2011

icipe launches ADOPT: EU-funded project to climate change, 29th-30th March 2011

Prof. Zeyaur Khan, an expert at the World Food Prize, 2010 Global Youth Institute

Prof. Zeyaur Khan, wins Nan Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology

Prof.Zeyaur Khan, elected Fellow of Entomological Society of America

Prof.Zeyaur Khan, selected the winner of International Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Achievement Awards.

Prof.Zeyaur Khan, plenary speaker during the XXIII International Congress of Entomology,2008

Pesticide Action Network North America - Push-Pull Technology Transforms Small Farms in Kenya

£2 Billion needed for Science ’Grand Challenge’ to help feed the World

icipe Scientists take Striga Fight to Uganda