Scott Laboratories

Scott Agricultural Laboratories AKA Scott Labs was a commercial research organization that was founded in 1903 by the Kenya Colonial Administration under British colonial rule. It moved to its own facility on the former Kabete Farm in 1913.

Scott Labs was responsible for the development of the SL varieties, based on the Mokka and Bourbon types brought by the Scottish Mission project and French Mission to Kenya from Tanzania and from Reunion (Bourbon) island respectively. In fact Scott Agricultural Laboratories was named in honor of Dr Henry Scott of the Church of Scotland mission at Kikuyu.

Individual tree selections made at the Scott Laboratories during the 1935-1939 period were prefixed SL (meaning Scott Labs obviously). Fourty-two trees of various origins were selected and studied for yield, quality, and drought and disease resistance.

SL28 was selected in 1935 from a single tree in a population called Tanganyika Drought Resistant. In 1931, the senior coffee officer of Scott Labs, A.D. Trench, conducted a tour of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). According to historical documents, he noticed a variety growing in the Moduli district that appeared to be tolerant to drought, diseases and pests.

The Tanzania DR coffee It was widely distributed until superseded by its progeny, SL28 in 1935. Recent genetic tests have confirmed that SL28 is related to the Bourbon genetic group.

Coffee was a small part of the plant breeding and research work done at Kabete, which included all major crops. Over 300 wheat varieties were developed during the same period as SL-28 and SL-34.

After Kenya independence the functions of Scott Laboratories was incorporated into the Kenya Coffee Research Institute (CRI) and National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL).

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