Maurice Ogutu provides leadership in food crop horticulture research and Extension programs in northern Illinois with a specialty in commercial vegetables and fruits.

He has a Ph.D. in horticulture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he worked on cover crops in vegetable production in his dissertation entitled "Developing methods of strip cropping cucumbers with rye/vetch." He hold a B.S. in agriculture and M.S. in agronomy degrees from University of Nairobi, Kenya. His MS thesis was titled "Physiological basis of yield differences between two field bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties."

Previously he served as an agricultural research officer, high school agriculture/biology teacher, plant nutrition lecturer for a four-year college horticulture course, and agriculture extension officer in Kenya. He was a member of the team who prepared the Kenya National Environment Action Plan, and Research & Development chapter of the 1997-2002 Republic of Kenya National Development Plan. He joined University of Illinois Extension in February, 2001 as a horticulture educator at the Countryside Extension Center.

His program areas are vegetables and fruits with a specialty on commercial vegetable and fruit production. He focuses on culture, pest management, weed control, water management, soil fertility management, and urban vegetable production in vacant city lots in Chicago. He teaches vegetable and fruit production to Master Gardeners throughout northern Illinois. He teach pesticide applicators. He also carries out applied research and demonstration on food crop horticulture in northern Illinois. Ogutu speaks to a variety of horticulture related groups on vegetable and fruit production including growers' associations, clubs, high schools and community colleges. He writes articles for the Illinois Vegetable and Fruit newsletter (monthly publication), Illinois Specialty Grower News (quarterly publication for Illinois commercial fruit and vegetable growers), and prepares web-based information on commercial vegetables and fruits.

He is a member of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences, and University of Illinois Extension Statewide Diversity Committee. At Virginia Tech, Maurice was a member of Phi Sigma honor society, received the Spence graduate scholarship for sustainable agriculture, was a horticulture department graduate student representative to the graduate student assembly for two years, and was a member of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS).

Program Offerings

Environmentally Sustainable and Profitable Vegetable and Fruit Production

Make direct contacts with commercial vegetable and fruit growers during the growing season in order to assess production practices and problems they face through farm visits, and providing technical advise when needed. In collaboration, with campus-based extension specialists and extension specialists in Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin, organize winter vegetable and fruit grower schools for northern Illinois. Member of the team training private pesticide applicators in northern Illinois. Teaching vegetable and fruit production during the winter county Garden Festivals in northern Illinois when invited.

Urban Farming (Chicago Fresh Initiative)

Working with Chicago Fresh partners and communities who are involved in Urban Agriculture program in Chicago by providing technical assistance on vegetable production in vacant city lots, raised-bed construction and layout, and one-on-one technical advise on vegetable production.

Summer 4-H Adventure Camp – Junior Gardener

In collaboration with horticulture educators and master gardener volunteers teach youth during summer or when need arises on how plants grow, different parts of the plants, plants providing food, and plants providing beauty using Junior Master Gardener Curriculum and web-based information.

Master Gardener Training

Support Illinois Master Gardener programs in northern Illinois by teaching master gardener trainees vegetables, fruits, botany, and integrated pest management sections. Offering continuing education programs for certified master gardeners on vegetables, fruits, pruning of small & tree fruits, and Integrated Pest Management in vegetable and fruit production.

Applied Research on Sustainable Vegetable and Fruit Production

Conduct applied research in response to clientele needs both at St. Charles Horticulture Research Center and on-farm. On going research on integration of cover crops in vegetable production and on-farm research in collaboration with state specialists on fruit and vegetable Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Websites Developed

Raspberries and More
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/raspberries/index.html

Common Vegetable Problems (jointly with Jim Schuster) http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/vegproblems/

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