From Italy to Kenya to explore neutral weed communities in agroecological systems

From July to September 2026, Chiara Michelone from Deafal carried out a secondment at Kenyatta University in Kenya, working in collaboration with Ezekiel Mugendi, as part of the NeutraWeed project.

The secondment combined networking and research activities, with a focus on the state of the agroecological transition in Kenya and on the relationships between weed species and crops in smallholder farming systems.

The networking activities were mainly carried out during the National Agroecology Symposium, where the state of the agroecological transition in Kenya was discussed, with particular attention to the strategies and actions needed to move the transition forward. As part of the networking activities, an interview was also conducted with Susan Owiti from the Kenyan Peasant League, a member of the La Via Campesina coordination, focusing on the state of Agroecology in Kenya.

The research activities focused on soil and crop management practices among smallholder farmers. During the secondment, sixty smallholder farmers from the counties of Embu and Tharaka Nithi were interviewed about their soil and crop management practices.

During the field visits, the main weed species were photographed and subsequently classified to investigate which species interact most with crops and to distinguish between aggressive, beneficial, and neutral weeds. This work contributed to the study of neutral weed communities and their presence within the agricultural fields surveyed.

The classification of weed species also provides information relevant to weed management, by investigating the different types of interactions between weed species and crops and distinguishing species according to their observed role in the agricultural environment.

Overall, the secondment strengthened the collaboration between Deafal and Kenyatta University and contributed to the collection of field data on smallholder farming practices and weed species in Embu and Tharaka Nithi. The photographs, interviews, and classification of weed species provide material for further investigation of weed communities, including neutral weeds, in the context of the NeutraWeed project.