Abstract:
Potato is one of the most important valued food and cash crop in Kenya. However, health issues
which includes plant disease, pests, weed, and soil health continue to pose a major threat to potato
production resulting in low yields and returns among farmers particularly the smallholder in Molo
Sub-County. Plant health Clinics use innovative approach like human clinic to offer significant
services to farmers in terms of crop protection advice, training, and diagnosis in the country, but
research pertaining to the influence of these services on potato production in Molo Sub-County
had not been studied. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the influence of plant
health clinic services on potato production among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub-County,
Kenya. The study used cross-sectional survey design. The accessible population consisted of 6,000
smallholder potato farmers, and a total sample of 152 respondents were selected using
proportionate and simple random sampling approach. Key informants were selected purposively
via a process of theoretical sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire and an interview
guide. The questionnaire was administered to smallholder potato farmers and ten respondents for
key informant interviews. A pilot study was carried out using 30 farmers in Nessuit ward of Njoro
Sub-County. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach's alpha
coefficient and it yielded a coefficient 0.726α, which was accepted. Data analysis was done using
SPSS version 22 to run descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis was used
to establish the influence of plant health clinic services on potato production among smallholder
farmers in Molo Sub-County at a significance level of 0.05. It was found that plant health clinic
advisory services, training services and diagnostic services had a statistically significant influence
on potato production. The results showed that 61.8% (R 2 = 0.618), 78.1% (R2 = 0.781) and 59%
(R2 = 0.590) of variation in the potato production were explained by advisory services, training
services and diagnostic services respectively. The study concluded that plant health clinic advisory
services, training services and diagnostic services have an influence on potato production among
smallholder potato farmers in Molo Sub-County, Kenya. The study recommends that the County
and National government enhance and strengthen the provision of plant health clinic services to
potato farmers in the area. The smallholder potato farmers also need empowerment in terms of
general education, capacity building and sensitization on use of plant health clinic services to
improve potato production.
