Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition 
This programme carries out research geared towards maintenance of soil fertility, fertilizer use and efficiency, and amelioration of soil based constraints to crop production. In addition to research on soil fertility and chemistry, the programme provides analytical and advisory services to all types of clients. Analytical and advisory services include testing of soil and plant tissue analysis in order to promote judicious use of fertilizer, manure, and irrigation water.

Irrigation and Drainage 
This programme focuses its research on conventional and non-conventional irrigation systems, efficiency of water usage, soil properties related to irrigation and drainage, alternative cropping systems and studies in balanced water and fertilizer use under irrigation. The programme is also involved in monitoring of irrigation schemes for their performance, preparation and execution of applied research and preparation of policy guidance papers concerning technical, socio-economic and development issues related to aspects of irrigation and drainage in the country.

Land Resource Survey and Inventory
This programme is commonly known as Kenya Soil Survey (KSS) and is responsible for conducting inventories and research on land resources (soils, vegetation, land use, climate, land degradation, among others) throughout the country to provide biophysical information required for multipurpose and specific land use planning. KSS has the mandate to carry out research on genesis and classification of the soils of Kenya, carry out soil correlation studies, and to develop and maintain a national soils database in a Geographical Information System (GIS). KSS also participates in problem-oriented research on regional and commodity needs in collaboration with other KARI Research Centres. In terms of laboratory services, KSS provides analytical services on soils, plant tissue, fertilizer, manure, animal feeds and irrigation water to provide recommendations on appropriate fertilizer applications for sustainable production of various soil types and farming systems. In regard to training services, KSS offers training services on GIS applications, laboratory services and natural resources management.

Socioeconomics and Biometrics
The programme has a national mandate for socioeconomics and biometrics research in soil and water management and crop protection and contributes to the development, dissemination and adoption of appropriate technologies to sustainably enhance the incomes of the rural communities. The programme is responsible for characterizing various farming systems, diagnosing and prioritizing farmers’ constraints, as well as identifying available opportunities leading to the identification and execution of research on appropriate areas of intervention.  In addition, the programme is supposed to monitor and evaluate projects/technologies for economic viability and social acceptability, carry out adoption, impact assessment (both ex-ante and ex-post), policy and marketing studies, ensure gender concerns are incorporated in research projects and finally ensure biometrics input is incorporated during design of interventions, data analysis and interpretation of results.

Crop Protection 
The Crop Protection Programme carries out research and provides technical services geared towards mitigating crop pests and their negative impact at production and post-production stages of commodities grouped as food, horticultural and industrial crops, as well as fodder/forage crops for livestock value chains. The pests considered include disease-causing organisms (pathogens—bacteria, fungi, viruses and nematodes), arthropod pests (insects and mites) and weeds, which are handled under Plant Pathology, Entomology and Weed Science Sections, respectively.

The Programme’s  responsibilities include diagnosis/identification, characterization, safe disposal, repository (rearing/production, culture collections and herbaria) of pests, and development of integrated pest management (IPM) systems, with the latter entailing efficacy evaluation of pesticides, development of biocontrol agents, evaluation of host resistance, use of sterile insect technique on target pests, pollination management, among others. In addition the programme offers capacity-building services that include short-term trainings, practical attachments and field site visits, among others.