Nairobi, July 22 -- Twice every week at one of the country's largest flower farms in Naivasha, crop scouts walk through greenhouse rows of flower seedlings, pausing every few metres to key data into tablets as they inspect each bed for signs of pests and diseases.

The software powering the exercise is called Bluleaf, an integrated pest management system built by Kenyan technology firm Data Science Limited. The company is the brainchild of computer scientist Linet Kwamboka Nyang'au.

In the flower industry, the software is helping growers reduce pesticide use, improve yields and meet some of the world's toughest export standards. Crop scouts carry android smartphones and tablets loaded with the app as they move through flower beds looking...