Scientists to release new varieties of drought tolerant sweet potatoes in Uganda

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

Two Nation Media Group journalists have won awards in agriculture.

By Michael J. Ssali

CAMBRIDGE- UK-The Daily Monitor’s Lominda Afedraru emerged the best science writer in the two-year- media fellowship --- Bio-sciences for Farming in Africa.

Mr Isaac Khisa of The EastAfrican emerged the best business coverage writer and he was praised for his in-depth coverage by the judges, Julia Vitullo-Martin and Sharon Schmickle --- both senior journalists based in the US.

Ms Lominda was praised for her active, intensive and accurate coverage of agricultural science farming activities and bio-technology development in Uganda.

About 160 journalists from Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda participated in the fellowship that was coordinated in Cambridge University with funding from the John Templeton Foundation based in the USA

Nineteen of the best performing journalists were invited to spend a week-long meeting in the UK and to attend the crowning events of the fellowship.

The journalists were graded according to the quality of their published or broadcast work over the two-year-period of the fellowship.

Other award winners included Mr Pascal Boris Bagonza of Uganda’s Radio Sapienzia, who was praised for carrying out the best radio coverage of farming and food security issues.

Ms Arthur Adelaide of Multimedia Group/Joy News in Ghana emerged the best TV farming journalist in the fellowship. Mr Abdallah el Kurebe of Nigeria’s Newswatch Magazine/Vanguard was another winner praised for his in-depth coverage.

Mr Akiwunmi Kole Dawudu of News Agency of Nigeria was said to have presented the best ‘body of work-spot news’ by the judges, while Mr Said Mmanga of Changamoto Media Limited, Tanzania, scooped the award for the best coverage in an African Language (Kiswahili).

The award took place at St Edmund College Cambridge on April 10. The function also was attended by several other agricultural scientists from the UK, Africa, the USA, India and the Philippines.

See the story: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-journalists--win-international-agriculture-awards/-/688334/2280914/-/jhv85az/-/index.html

NMG journalists scoop awards

Ester Oluka

KAMPALA-Uganda-Four Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists have scooped top prizes at the inaugural National Journalism Awards initiated by the Africa Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), a non-profit organisation offering non-academic training for media practitioners.
The four, who were crowned on Wednesday night at a colourful ceremony in Kampala, were among the 14 winners who walked away with Shs2.5m each, a plaque and a certificate.

The Daily Monitor’s Edgar R. Batte and Agatha Ayebazibwe emerged winners in the sports and health categories respectively, while NTV’s Solomon Serwanja and The East African’s Isaac Khisa topped the national broadcast and business and finance categories.

Mr Batte was recognised for his story titled “Kyobe, Lutwama: Two brothers with their stars shining brightly.” The judges commended the story, which was about the rising stars of two cricketer brothers, for breaking through long-held biases and assumptions to present a riveting tale of the cricketers.

Ms Ayebazibwe, who is Daily Monitor’s health writer, was commended for her story “When prostate cancer runs in the family”. The story stood out because of its employment of expert sources to explain causes and treatment of prostate cancer.

NTV’s Serwanja was awarded for his story on terrorism, which judges said was a relevant wakeup call to the public and national security officials to raise the challenge of averting terror attacks.

Mr Khisa of The East African newspaper emerged top in the business, finance and economy reporting for his story “Uganda’s new tax will raise calling rates, hurt integration”.

According to Dr Peter Mwesige, ACME executive director, the awards event was the culmination of a year-long and painstaking process of recognising excellence in Uganda’s journalism.

“We were impressed by the enthusiasm with which journalists responded to our call for entries. By January 15, 2014 deadline, we had received more than 220 entries, which, to our knowledge, is a first in Uganda, if not in the region,” he said.

The chief guest at the function, Lady Justice Irene Mulyagonja, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), urged journalists to take the news value of accuracy seriously.

“Avoid misleading the readers, viewers and listeners. Always ensure to verify your information before it is published,” she said.
Winners commended

Daily Monitor’s Executive Editor Malcolm Gibson praised the winners and the function’s organisers.
“The journalism and journalists recognised, especially our own, but all of them, set examples we should follow on all the stories we do each and every day. So all the stories should be beacons to follow in our goal to become the most respected newspaper in Africa,” he said.

The awards which are the first of their kind were open to all journalists, full- time and freelance, working in Uganda for work published or broadcast between January and December 2013.

They will be held annually to recognise and promote excellence in reporting and to inspire quality journalism in the country.
Other winners and their media houses

Ronald Musoke (The Independent)-best agriculture reporting for his story “ Food politics.” He also won best national news reporting for print for the story “Marriage and Divorce Bill-100 years of acrimony and disappointment”.

Caroline Ariba (The New vision) - best arts and culture reporting for her story “how come emaali composer is a pauper?”
Paschal Bagonza (Radio Sapientia) - best environment reporting for his story “Energy efficient cook stoves”.

Haggai Matsiko (The Independent)-best explanatory reporting for his story “Nebanda death reports: New evidence shows how suspects could walk free.” He also won best extractives reporting for the story “Oil refinery threatened: World Bank sucked into compensation wrangle”.

Andrew Masinde (The New Vision) - best features reporting for the story “Raised by monkeys, Mayanja still struggles to be human”.
Charles Etukuri (The New Vision)-best Investigations reporting for the story “Cocaine:

The addiction that started as a joke”.
Emmanuel Ojok (Radio Pacis)-best news reporting for the story “Baby dumped, vultures carry foetus on tree”
Gerald Businge (Africulture.org) - best multimedia reporting for the story “fake seeds widespread”.

Edward Ssekika (The Observer)-best politics reporting for his story “District chairpersons stranded with big titles but no power”.



See the story: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-journalists-scoop-awards/-/688334/2274862/-/item/0/-/1cxb7yz/-/index.html