Dr. Hannah Karuri
Hannah Karuri is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Embu, Kenya. Besides teaching and supervising students, she is involved in research. With a Master’s in Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Botany, Hannah has focused on nematology over the past 12 years, targeting areas such as crop protection, nematode diversity, and soil health.
Plant-parasitic nematodes are a significant problem in Kenya, and Dr. Karuri is assessing the nematodes’ diversity to help handle the pest and improve the country’s food security. Hannah works in close contact with smallholder farmers from different parts of Kenya who have suffered yield and economic losses due to these nematodes. She also studies beneficial nematodes that can improve soil health and help control plant-parasitic ones.
Hannah's work during her Short Research Stay
In Kenya, smallholder farmers heavily rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Plant-parasitic nematodes, which attack crops and decrease yields, need to be controlled to enhance crop productivity. Their identification at the species level is essential to control these nematodes effectively. However, in sub-Saharan African countries, information on the molecular diversity of plant-parasitic nematodes is limited.
During her Short Research Stay at the UGent Nematology Research Unit, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Wim Bert, Hannah mapped the molecular diversity and distribution of plant-parasitic nematode species in maize, working on Kenyan soil samples.
Selected publications
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Karuri, H. (2022). Root and soil health management approaches for control of plant-parasitic nematodes in sub-Saharan Africa. Crop Protection, 152, 105841. doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2021.105841
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Kemboi, B., Karuri, H., Nyaga, J. M., & Kingsbury, A. J. (2022). Vertical Distribution of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Sweet Potato. Journal of Nematology, 54(1), 10.2478. doi:10.2478/jnem-2022-0001
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Maina, S., Karuri, H., & Mugweru, J. (2022). Nematode assemblages, food web indices and metabolic footprints in maize-pigeon pea agro-ecosystems. Heliyon, e10189. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10189
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Leiririo, J., Karuri, H., & Nyaga, J. (2022). Nematode-based soil food web condition in mung bean under semi-arid conditions. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 10, 100465. doi:10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100465
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Maina, S., Karuri, H., & Ng’endo R. (2021). Free-living nematode assemblages associated with maize residues and their ecological significance. Journal of Nematology, 53, e2021-38. doi:10.21307/jofnem-2021-038