Prof. Zeyaur R. Khan is a Principal Scientist at icipe. He has dedicated his 30 year career as an international agricultural scientist to advancing the science and practice of agriculture by studying and applying chemical ecology, behavior, plant-plant and insect-plant interactions to improve farm productivity to combat poverty and food insecurity in Africa. He is responsible for the discovery and wide scale implementation of a pro-poor scientific innovation for enhancing food security and environmental sustainability in Africa. This was achieved through the biologically-based IPM technology called ‘Push-Pull’ (www.push-pull.net), developed for small-holder cereal-livestock African farmers. Prof. Khan’s work is a wonderful example demonstrating that creativity and innovation in science can provide practical solutions for the real problems of thousands of small-holder poor farmers and promote their food security and sustainable livelihoods. Prof. Khan obtained his Ph.D. from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in 1980. Before joining icipe, he worked with International Rice Research Institute (1983-1991), University of Wisconsin, Madison (1985-1986) and Kansas State University, Manhattan (1991-1993). Prof. Khan also holds a position of Visiting Professor at Cornell University. Prof. Khan is Fellow of Entomological Society of America and Fellow of Royal Entomological Society, London. In 2009 Prof. Khan was awarded the International IPM excellence award, a plenary speaker at during XXIII International Congress of Entomology in 2008 and the 2010 winner of the Nan-Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology. He has authored/co-authored over 100 scientific papers in referred journals, over 10 book chapters, five books and several booklets and brochures.

Dr. Charles Midega, a Marquis Who’s Who in the World biographee, is a senior research scientist at icipe. He holds an MSc (2002) and PhD (2005) in Agricultural Entomology from Kenyatta University (Kenya), and two postdoctoral fellowships, from icipe (Kenya) and Kyushu University (Japan). He is directly involved in implementation of the Push-Pull technology in East Africa while adapting it to different agro-ecologies, cereal systems and farmer profiles. He is also involved in the chemical ecology research on plant to plant communication and plant-insect interactions and their exploitation for pest management in cereal and cotton production systems. He evaluates the technology’s impacts on ecological integrity of the agro-ecosystems, specifically its impacts on pests’ generalist and specialist natural enemies, as well as above and below ground arthropod diversity. He has extensive experience on biostatistics as well as development of IPM approaches, biodiversity evaluation and sustainable exploitation in different ecosystems, tritrophic interactions in both cropping and forest systems, and chemical ecology, having been involved in similar work in Kenya, South Africa and Japan. He has authored/co-authored over 40 scientific papers in refereed journals, book chapters, books and educational materials in these fields.

Dr.Charles Wasonga joined icipe as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Wasonga holds a PhD degree from Cornell University, USA (2010) and MSc Soil Science (2004) and BSc Horticulture (1998) degrees from Egerton University, Kenya. His PhD research focused on the genetic improvement snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes targeted for production in eastern Africa for broad spectrum resistance to common bean rust disease and tolerance to heat stress. Prior to joining Cornell he coordinated an NGO-led adaptive research and extension program that engaged multiple stakeholders in the identification, evaluation and dissemination of promising crop varieties, soil and water management technologies for improving agricultural productivity and food security among resource-poor smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in crop-livestock systems in western and North Rift regions of Kenya.

Dr. Mohamed Hassan is a visiting scientist at icipe and is currently coordinating a Tokyo University of Agriculture-icipe project on evaluation of different grass boundaries on management of maize stemborer pests. Dr. Mohamed obtained his B.Sc. from Somali National University (SNU), Mogadishu in 1986, MSc and PhD at Kenyatta University in 1997 and 2004 respectively. Before joining icipe, he worked in joint projects between Somali Government and Wyoming university at Bay Agricultural Research Institute, Somalia. He was also involved, together with the Somali national extension department, in training farmers on prevention of insect-induced crop and grain damages. Dr. Mohamed has also been involved in collaborative research and extension with different research institutes, such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), on Sorghum screening against insects resistant; the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), on screening legume varieties for pod-borer resistance and early maturity; and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), on army worm monitoring and forecasting.

Jimmy Pittchar is a social scientist. He holds a Masters degree in Population and Development studies, with specialisation in research methodology, and a B.Sc in computer science and statistics from University of Nairobi, Kenya. He is part of an inter-disciplinary research team responsible for implementation and up-scaling of the Push-pull technology in East Africa, conducting social science research, and developing strategic partnerships with national research and extension systems as well as NGOs and the private sector. He is helping smallholder farmers to intensify and sustainably improve their cereal crop and livestock productivity, and researching technology diffusion processes, rural smallholder farmers’ knowledge bases, innovation systems, livelihood strategies and options for disseminating best practices. Prior to joining icipe, he worked for over 15 years with United Nation’s specialized agencies and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) where he was responsible for programme management, regional integration, social science research and implementation of development programs in 22 African countries. He has also taught quantitative techniques, and social science research methodology at the University of Nairobi’s Population Studies and Research Institute.

Mr. Isaac is a social scientist at icipe. He holds a Master of Science degree in Development Research, Application and Theory (Specialising in Rural Development) from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)-Uppsala and BSc. Biological sciences from Egerton University, Njoro in the year 2002 and 1999 respectively. Prior to joining icipe in 2007, he worked as project assistant (2003-2006) with Farm-Africa, an international NGO promoting the application of research findings in addressing development problems in Africa. He is currently part of the team implementing the up-scaling and widespread dissemination of Push-Pull technology in East Africa. He is involved in project implementation and data management, technical report and proposal writing, designing and implementing data collection instruments, data analysis using SPSS, training farmer facilitators /disseminators for technology dissemination, Participatory Impact Assessment, designing and evaluation of technology communication and dissemination materials.

Elvira joined icipe as a Project Management Officer. Elvira holds a Masters Degree (Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Economics/Finance and Fiscal Policy) from Cornell University, USA (2010) and Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture (Agricultural Economics Major) from the University of Nairobi (2006). Prior to joining icipe, Elvira worked as a consultant with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and was based at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi where she backstopped CCAFS program management activities. She has also gained invaluable work experience with the World Vision US – International Programs Group in Washington DC, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute – NARL Campus (KARI-NARL) and Farm Concern International – Nairobi.

Benard is a technician at icipe. A graduate of Moi University with a Bachelor of Technology degree. Bernard has had brief stints with Pricewaterhouse Coopers Kenya, Airtel (formerly Zain) Kenya Ltd and Dawa Pharmaceuticals between 2008 and November 2010, before coming to icipe.

Dickens is a technician, working with the smallholder farming communities in western Kenya in furthering the adoption of the Push-Pull technology. He is also involved in training of different farming groups on desmodium seed production besides working with icipe partners.

Eshmail is a technician screening wild grass and Desmodium species for their tolerance to drought. He also screens the grasses ability to attract and trap stemborers; and Desmodium to repel stemborers. The grasses and Desmodium with these qualities will be incorporated in Push-Pull systems for farmers in drier areas. He has previously worked on Napier Stunt Disease Project where he assisted to identify the disease vector and screening of Napier varieties for resistance to the disease.

Kennedy is a research technician at icipe. He is currently under Push-Pull project on climate change, screening various grass and Desmodium species for their resistance to drought and high temperatures. He holds a BSc degree in Biological sciences from Moi University, Kenya, 2006. Prior to joining icipe, Kennedy worked as a research technician in a Rockefeller funded, Moi University- Sorghum midge project at KARI-Kibos between 2006 and 2008, where he was involved in screening sorghum varieties for their tolerance with regard to Striga and midge attack. He also had research training on collection, rearing and identification of grass associated stemborers and their parasitoids as well as field and screen house operations on a series of projects under push-pull technology in icipe-Mbita between 2005 and 2006.

Aloice is a technical assistant at icipe. He holds an advance diploma in community development and resource mobilization from Cambridge, UK; a diploma in veterinary science from Thomsom Education Direct, USA; and a certificate in Agriculture, from Moi Institute Technology, Kenya. As a technical assistant, Mr. Ndiege is working with the smallholder farming communities in western Kenya in furthering the adoption of the Push-Pull technology. He is also involved in training of different farming groups on desmodium seed production besides working in partnership with Heifer Project International (HPI) and AIDSRELIEF Catholic Relief Services and other NGOs’ in technology dissemination. Previously, he assisted the scientists in setting up on-station and on-farm experiments on the Push-Pull technology in addition to dissemination of the technology in Eastern Uganda through strategic partnerships with players in the cereal-livestock value chains, and farmer to farmer approaches such as Farmer Field Schools.

Philip is a technical assistant, working with the smallholder farming communities in western Kenya in furthering the adoption of the Push-Pull technology. He is also involved in training of different farming groups on desmodium seed production besides working with icipe partners.

Silas is a technical assistant. He is involved in both lab and field experiments.

Amos is a technical assistant, rearing and diet preparation of Busseola fusca, Chilo partellus, and parasitoids for research and development.

Joseph is a technical assistant, involved in the on-station experimental trials.

Joshua is a farmer trainer.

Nyangau is a farmer trainer

Elizabeth is a lab technician.

Philemon is responsible for the development of this website (www.push-pull.net) as well as ICT administration.