Research Interests

Tackling the current and emerging threats to crop production requires a multi-disciplinary strategy and innovations for sustainable farming methods. Partnerships in research for development play a major role in resource mobilization to address the threats to crop production. As the production environments change, the agents of biotic stresses (such as plant pathogens) tend to evolve new adaptation mechanisms which threaten crop production. To overcome this challenge, there is a need for a continuous research to identify shifts in the virulence among the populations of major plant pathogens. Furthermore, there is a need to continuously monitor the pathogen populations to enhance the detection of highly virulent strains. To achieve these, plant pathologists and breeders should partner in continuous surveillance, monitoring, testing of pathogen collections against popular cultivars, commercial varieties and breeding populations. Dr. Mutiga's primary interests are in establishment of a functional disease surveillance and pathogen virulence spectrum screening to prevent emergence and spread of super bugs in Kenya and beyond. Furthermore, plans to continue working with the national and international plant breeding programs towards development of resilient crop varieties through modern breeding methods. With over ten years working with the international communities in developing innovations for tackling major diseases in Africa, Dr. Mutiga remains a resourceful scientists and a potential partner in driving research on sustainable crop protection against the current and emerging plant diseases. Dr. Mutiga's areas of research interest include genetics for mycotoxin accumulation in crop plants, application of genomics in tackling major fungal diseases of rice (e.g., rice blast, brown spot, rice yellow mottle virus and bacterial leaf blight), strengthening of plant disease diagnostics and capacity building for enhanced early detection of biotic stresses within the Kenyan agricultural extension service, assessing the utility of circular bionutrient economy in management of plant biotic and abiotic stresses, and training of junior scientists in the fields of plant sciences.

Mission statement

Dr. Samuel Mutiga aims to apply sustainable methods of enhancing crop resilience against the adverse effects of climate change. Ultimately, his research efforts would provide sustainable solutions against major diseases of staple food crops in Kenya. Dr. Mutiga has a great passion in mentoring junior scientists in the field of plant sciences through teaching and research at Maseno University.

Education

• Ph.D. Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, 2014
• MPhil. Plant Protection, Moi University, 2008
• BSc. Horticulture, Moi University, 2004
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Selected Articles in Journals

1. Fato, P., Chaúque, P., Senete, C., Nhamucho, E., Sneller, C., Mutiga, S., Musundire, L., Wegary, D., Das, B., & Prasanna, B. M. 2025. Genetic Trends in Seven Years of Maize Breeding at Mozambique’s Institute of Agricultural Research. Agronomy, 15(2), 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020449
2. Ligeyo, D.O., Saina, E., Awalla, B.J., Sneller, C., Chivasa, W., Musundire, L., Makumbi, D., Mulanya, M., Milic, D., Mutiga, S., Lagat, A., Das, B. and Prasanna, B.M. 2024. Genetic trends in the Kenya Highland Maize Breeding Program between 1999 and 2020. 2024. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1416538. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.14165382024.
3. Mutiga, S. K., Orwa, P., Nganga, E. M., Kyallo, M. M., Rotich, F., Gichuhi, E., Kimani, J. M., Mwongera, D. T., Were, V. M., Yanoria, M. J., Murori, R., Mgonja, E., Ziyomo, C., Wasilwa, L., Bachabi, F., Ndjiondjop, M., Ouedraogo, I., Correll, J. C. and Talbot, N. J. 2023: Characterization of Blast Resistance in a Diverse Rice Panel from Sub-Saharan Africa.  Phytopathology, 113 (7), 1278-1288 https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-10-22-0379-R
4. Ng’endo, M., Kinyua, M., Chebet, L., Mutiga, S., Ndung’u, J., Nyongesa, O., Njau, S., Panchbhai, A., Musila, R. & Murori, R. (2022). The importance of market signals in crop varietal development: lessons from Komboka rice variety. CABI Agric Biosci 3, 57 https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-022-00122-6
5. Nganga EM, Kyallo M, Orwa P, Rotich F, Gichuhi E, Kimani JM, Mwongera D, Waweru B, Sikuku P, Musyimi DM, Mutiga SK, Ziyomo C, Murori R, Wasilwa L, Correll JC, Talbot NJ. 2022. Foliar Diseases and the Associated Fungi in Rice Cultivated in Kenya. Plants (Basel). 7;11(9):1264. doi: 10.3390/plants11091264.
6. Mutiga, S. K., Rotich, F., Were, V. M., Kimani, J. M., Mwongera, D. T., Mgonja, E., Onaga, G., Kadougoudiou Konaté, Razanaboahirana, C., Bigirimana, J., Ndayiragije, A., Gichuhi, E., Yanoria, M.J., Otipa, M., Lusike Wasilwa, L., Ouedraogo, I., Mitchell, T., Wang, G-L., Correll J. C. and N. J. Talbot. 2021. Integrated strategies for durable rice blast resistance in sub-Saharan Africa. Plant Disease. 105(10), 2749-2770. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-21-0593-F
7. Dooso Oloo R., Okoth S., Wachira P., Mutiga S., Ochieng P., Kago L., Nganga F., Entfellner J.B.D., Ghimire S. 2019. Genetic profiling of Aspergillus isolates with varying aflatoxin production potential from different maize-growing regions of Kenya. Toxins. 11:467. DOI: 10.3390/toxins11080467.
8. Kiruwa, F. H., Mutiga, S., Njuguna, J., Machuka, E., Senay, S., Feyissa, T., Ndakidemi, P. A., and Stomeo, F. 2019. Status and Epidemiology of Maize Lethal Necrotic Disease in Northern Tanzania. Pathogens 9(1) doi:10.3390/pathogens9010004.
9. Mgonja, E. M., Park, C. H., Balimponya, E. G., Kang, H. Opiyo, S., Bellizzi, M., Mutiga, S. K., Rotich, F., Devi Ganeshan, V., Mabagala, R., Sneller, C., Correll, J., Zhou, B. Talbot, N. J., Mitchell, T. K. and Wang, G.L. 2017. Genotyping-by-sequencing-based genetic analysis of African rice cultivars and association mapping of blast resistance genes against Magnaporthe oryzae populations in Africa. Phytopathology, 107(9), 1039-1046: DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-12-16-0421-R
10. Mutiga, K. S., Hoffmann, V., Harvey, J. W., Milgroom, M. G. and Nelson, R. J. 2015. Assessment of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize in western Kenya. Phytopathology, 105(9), 1250-1261. DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-10-14-0269-R.
11. Mutiga, K. S., Morales, L., Angwenyi, S., Wainaina, J., Das, B., Harvey, J. and Nelson, R. 2017. Association between agronomic traits and aflatoxin accumulation in diverse maize lines grown under two soil nitrogen levels in Eastern Kenya. Field Crops Research, 205: 124-134. DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2017.02.007
12. Mutiga, K. S., V. Were, V. Harvey, J. W., Milgroom, M. G. and R. J. Nelson. 2014. Extent and drivers of mycotoxin contamination: Inferences from a survey of Kenyan maize mills. Phytopathology, 104(11):1221-1231. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-01-14-0006-R.
13. Mutiga, S. K., Chepkwony, N., Hoekenga, O.A., Flint-Garcia, S.A., and Nelson R.J. 2019. The role of ear environment in postharvest susceptibility of maize to toxigenic Aspergillus flavus. Plant Breeding 138(1), 38-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbr.12672
14. Mutiga, S. K., Rotich, F., Devi Ganeshan, V., Harvey, J., Wang, G., Zhou, B., Mitchell, T., Correll, J. C. and N. Talbot. 2017. Assessment of the virulence spectrum and its association with the genetic diversity in a Magnaporthe oryzae population from sub-Saharan Africa. Phytopathology. 107(7), 852-863. DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-08-16-0319-R

Google Scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-PQ7ALUAAAAJ&hl=en 

Academic Positions

• Lecturer, Department of Botany, School of Physical and Biological Sciences, Maseno University, 2025
• Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, University of Arkansas, 2019 - 2022
• Post-doctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, University of Arkansas, 2014 - 2018