Crop scientists are to release five lines of conventionally bred drought tolerant sweet potatoes to farmers next year in Uganda in response to varying weather patterns.
The development of the drought tolerant sweet potato lines, whose research started in 2008, is being conducted by Makerere University’s Research Institute, Kabanyolo, in collaboration with the International Potato Center based in Peru, National Agricultural Research Organisation, and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
Mikocheni Agricultural Institute (Tanzania), University of Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia), Rwanda Agricultural Research Board as well as Bio Crops Uganda Limited and Chain Uganda are the other partnering institutions in carrying out the research.
Lead scientist Dr. Ssetumba Mukasa told The EastAfrican that 11 lines have so far been lined for final evaluation in Hoima and Bushenyi Districts, western Uganda, before presenting the most desired lines to the National Variety Release Committee for further evaluation and release to farmers.
“We are now working with the farmers evaluating the promising clones in which we hope to select at least five lines basing on drought tolerant, yield, farmers’ choice and tolerance to the sweet potato virus disease,” Dr. Mukasa said.
Research shows that sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) is the most harmful disease affecting the crop in East Africa, Dr. Mukasa said.
It is caused by dual infection of sweet potato feathery mottle potyvirus (SPFMV) transmitted by aphids and sweet potato chlorotic stunt crinivirus (SPCSV) transmitted by whiteflies.
Whereas sweet potato crop affected by feathery mottle potyvirus do not show any sign of the disease, those affected by chlorotic stunt crinivirus are characterised by stunting, purpling, and yellowing of leaves of the potato leaves.
Apparently, SPVD is widespread in major sweet potato growing areas in Uganda especially in western regions due to monoculture, a scenario that sometimes leads up to 98 per cent yield loss and extinction of the early maturing and high yielding cultivars.
Dr. Mukasa said a total of 5,000 sweet potato lines have been crossed and screened for the desired traits since the beginning of the project.
Sweet potato in Uganda is regarded as the third most important starchy staple crop after cassava and bananas, according to the NARO, with annual production standing at about 4.5 million tonnes compared with 5.5 million tonnes in Tanzania and 10 million tonnes per hectare in Kenya.
Ranked first in Africa and second globally only after China in the production of sweet potato, its productivity has remained low due to a number of factors including pests, diseases, limited availability of improved varieties and poor husbandry practices.
Having been known as an African orphan crop, sweet potato economic value in the country remains scanty, with limited data on exports.
Sweet potato production in Uganda is commonly grown in northern, eastern, and western regions, either as a staple food, complement, reserve during famine or a source of income to the rural population.
Dr. Gorrettie Ssemakula, a plant breeder at NARO told The EastAfrican that sweet potato especially the orange-fleshed variety is also rich in Vitamin A that could help fight malnutrition in children.
Uganda Farmers Federation President Charles Ogang said the drought tolerant sweet potato varieties will help farmers boost production and incomes amidst the escalating drought.
“For some time now, we have not been marketing sweet potatoes. But we are planning to carry out sensitisation to our farmers on its potential market in the region soon especially for the orange-fleshed varieties,” Mr. Ogang said.
Uganda grows mainly white or cream-fleshed sweet potato and the release of the new crop varieties could boost food security as well as animal feeds.
So far, NARO through the National Sweet potato Program developed and released 20 varieties between 1995 and 2010, of which, seven were orange-fleshed while 13 were non-orange.
Uganda’s scientists are also hopping to start confined trials of genetically modified strains of potato designed to be resistant to Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes potato blight, in July this year.
The scientists have filed an application to the National Biosafety Committee seeking permission to carry out confined field trials. End
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