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

African countries increase land in growing GM crops

African countries have increased their land under genetically modified crops since the introduction of the technology nearly two decades ago, a new report shows.

Burkina Faso increased its Bt cotton hectares by 51 per cent from 313,781 hectares to 474,229 whereas Sudan, in its second year of commercialisation, tripled its Bt cotton from 20,000 hectares in 2012 to 62,000 last year.

On the other hand, South Africa’s biotech hectarage remained the same as in 2012 at 2.9 million hectares. Data on the Egypt’s Bt maize could not be easily established due to political turmoil in the Arab nation throughout last year.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) report on the Global Status of Commercialised Biotech/GM Crops 2013 released last week also shows that seven African countries-Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Malawi, Nigeria -have either carried out or still carrying out confined field trials on various crops including cotton, maize, bananas and sweet potatoes as the penultimate step to approval for commercialisation.

“Biotech crops are demonstrating their global value as a tool for resource poor farmers who face decreased water supplies and increased weed and pest pressures – and the effects of climate change will only continue to expand the need for this technology,” said Dr. Clive James, the author and founder of ISAAA.

Although the report says biotech crops are contributing to food security and significantly reducing poverty, majority African countries are yet to embrace growing GM crops due to a combination of factors including strong anti-GM campaigns and the absence of regulatory frameworks.

For instance, Ugandan parliament is yet to approve the National Biosafety Bill meant to regulate the general use of the technology whereas Kenya banned the importation of importation of GM crops following a study carried by a French scientist Gilles-Eric Séralini et al linked it to cancer.

However, the study whose results were published in the November 2012 edition of the Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology linking the formation of cancerous tumours in rats to the genetically modified maize that they were fed on was retracted in November 2013.

As such, there are signs that Kenya may be preparing to revise its stance on GM foods again.

Kenya is working towards commercialising GM cotton this year after successful field trials showed the crop’s ability to cushion farmers against high production costs.

Further, biotech drought-tolerant maize under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa project is also set for commercialisation in east Africa by 2017 subject to regulatory approvals.

Tanzania has a regulatory framework with the responsibility clause-that discourages scientists from even carrying out confined field.

The report says revenue worth $116.9 billion were generated globally by biotech crops during the 17- year period 1996 to 2012, of which 58 per cent were due to reduced production costs (less ploughing, fewer pesticide sprays and less labor) and 42 per cent due to substantial yield gains of 377 million tonnes produced.

“Biotech crops are also a land-saving technology, capable of higher productivity on the current small piece of land and hence help to preclude deforestation and protect biodiversity,” the report says.

It is estimated that approximately 13 million hectares of biodiversity – rich tropical forests, are lost in developing countries annually due to deforestation as the population search for more land for agriculture.

Globally, for the second year in a row, developing countries planted more hectares of biotech crops than industrialized countries, representing confidence and trust of millions of risk-adverse farmers around the world that have experienced benefits of these crops.

Of the countries planting biotech crops, eight are industrial countries and 19 are developing countries.

A record 175.2 million hectares of biotech crops were grown globally in 2013, at an annual growth rate of 3 per cent, up 5 million from 170 million hectares in 2012, the report says, adding that more than 90 percent, or 16.5 million, of farmers planting biotech crops are small and resource-poor.

“Nearly 100 percent of farmers who try biotech crops continue to plant them year after year,” the report says.

Dr. Charles Mugoya, the programme manager, Agro-Biodiversity and Biotechnology at Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa told The EastAfrican that the increase in acreage under GM crops in Africa demonstrates confident in the technology.

African scientists under their umbrella organisation- African Science Academies- have jointly endorsed growing GM crops saying they are safe as their non-GM counterparts. END

African Orphan Crops Consortium names 100 crops for nutritional research

The African Orphan Crops Consortium has released the names of the 100 African crop species whose genomes it plans to sequence, assemble and annotate to improve nutrition of African families, especially children.

Orphan crops are African food crops and tree species that have been neglected by researchers and industry because they are not economically important on the global market.

The list of the 100 African species, which among others includes; African eggplant, amaranth, Guava, cassava, and potato, developed by African scientists and their colleagues elsewhere, is being availed so that researchers around the world can contact the consortium with suggestions for research needs regarding the selected species.

Dr. Allen Van Deynze, Director of Research at UC Davis' Seed Biotechnology Center in US and one of the scientists on the project said the consortium plans to sequence a reference genome and produce 100 lines for each of the crop listed.

The research will be conducted at its Nairobi-based African Plant Breeding Academy hosted at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), with improved planting materials offered to smallholder farmers throughout Africa.

Dr. Deynze said baobab, which can be used as a dried fruit powder for consumer products, will be the first orphan crop to be studied.

Baobab, called "the wonder tree" in Africa, is claimed to have antiviral properties and other health benefits, ten times the antioxidant level of oranges, twice the amount of calcium as spinach, three times the vitamin C of oranges and four times more potassium than bananas.

“The consortium’s goal is to use the latest scientific equipment and techniques to guide the development of more robust produce with higher nutritional content,” Dr. Deynze said.

Formed in 2010, the African Orphan Crops Consortium includes the African Union - New Partnership for Africa's Development (AU-NEPAD Agency); Mars Incorporated; World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF); Beijing Genomics Institute; Life Technologies Corporation; World Wildlife Fund; University of California, Davis (UC Davis); iPlant Collaborative; and Biosciences eastern and central Africa - International Livestock Research Institute (BecA - ILRI Hub).

Mars Inc has led a similar collaboration that sequenced, assembled and annotated the cocoa genome and made these data publically available on the Internet to all researchers in 2010.

According to the consortium more than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa consume orphan crops, and thus boosting their main crop production and nutrition could help reduce hunger and malnutrition.

Data from the World Health Organisation, shows that under nutrition is directly or indirectly responsible for 3.5 million child death every year, and at least 35 per cent of the disease burden in under 5 year old children in Africa.

While the degree to which indirect determinants of death varies between countries, WHO says malnutrition is a critical risk factor in most countries, and nutrition and food security remains a fundamental challenge to child survival.

The consortium will also train 250 plant breeders and technicians in genomics and marker-assisted selection for crop improvement over a five-year period. END

Scientists release 10 drought tolerant maize varieties to farmers in E.A

Agricultural scientists across East Africa have released at least 10 conventionally bred drought tolerant maize varieties that will boost farmer’s production despite catastrophic weather conditions.

Scientists across the region told The EastAfrican that four drought tolerant maize varieties have been released in Uganda and Kenya whereas three are in the final stages for release in Tanzania.

The development of the drought tolerant maize varieties, whose research started in 2007, was carried out in collaboration with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation under the Water Efficient Maize and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) under the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Project.

Dr. Godfrey Asea, the cereals programme team leader at the Uganda’s National Crop Resources Institute, Namulonge, told The EastAfrican the Institute has released four varieties of drought resistant maize awaiting to be distributed to farmers starting July this year.

“The maize we have developed performs well in both conditions; dry and rainfalls environments and at the same time are resistant to pests and diseases,” Dr. Asea said.
Dr. Asea said the new maize varieties- UH5354, UH 5355, WE 2114, and WE 2115, are currently under multiplication by Nalweyo Seed Company and Farm Inputs Care Centre (FICA) Limited.

Dr. Asea said drought has become a serious threat to the maize production across the region due to surging effects of climate change.

Scientists from the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) under its programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security say temperatures in East Africa are likely to increase by between 1.3 degrees and 2.1 degrees Celsius by 2050.

This implies that crop productivity in the region could be severely hurt given that they are heavily dependent rain fed agriculture; and thus susceptible to vagaries of nature, resulting into low yields.

Dr. Francis Nang’ayo, the regulatory affairs manager AATF, which operates in ten African countries, told The EastAfrican that the organisation in collaboration with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute has released one variety in Kenya and more three varieties are on the pipeline for release.

“The varieties are in the final stages of evaluation before the evaluation committee and will be released to farmers soon,” Dr. Nang’ayo said.

CIMMYT has also released two drought tolerant maize varieties in Kenya and plans release four more varieties are underway.

In Tanzania, the National Variety Committee has requested the National Seed Committee approval for the newly developed three drought tolerant maize varieties for release to farmers.

The scientists are also carrying out confined field trials on transgenic drought-resistant (DT) maize in Uganda and Kenya; expected to be commercialised in 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.

Currently, Kenya leads in the production of maize in the region, with production averaging about 2.7 million tonnes per year- and slightly lower than the three million tonnes consumed per annum, compared with 2.4 million tonnes in Uganda and Tanzania’s estimated 3-4 million tonnes, according to Kilimo Trust data.

However, Uganda, due to low dependent on maize for consumption, exports most of its crop to Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. END

Agriculture policy research in Uganda gets $5 million grant

The Netherlands’s Government is investing $5 million to support a four-year research on policies seeking to improve agriculture productivity in Uganda.

The project dubbed Policy Action for Sustainable Intensification of Ugandan Cropping Systems will be hosted by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Uganda, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Economic Policy Research Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

The research will be carried out in south western highlands for Irish potatoes and Lake Kioga plains of eastern Uganda for rice. The two zones are characterised by high population pressure, small farm sizes of less than two hectares with no option for expansion, making traditional farming unsustainable.

IITA’s country repressive Piet Van Asten said the research aims to ensure that the evidence on constraints and opportunities for intensification of two cropping systems are gathered and communicated, zonal investment plans are prepared and owned by key stakeholders as well as actions are initiated for the removal of bottlenecks in national polices relevant to agricultural intensification.

“We believe that PASIC will generate vital knowledge and evidence for decision makers to plan public investments and attract responsible private entities,” Mr. Piet said.

Mr. Piet said PASIC will focus on major constraints hampering effective agriculture policy actions including fragmentation of the roles and mandates in the agriculture sector, largely due to establishment of several autonomous agencies in the agriculture ministry, insufficient funding, inadequate human resources, lengthy policy formulation and implementation as well as duplication of programmes.

The project will mainly target small holder farmers who have the capacity to intensify production through improved agronomic practices, market-oriented production or increased use of inputs.

Dutch Ambassador to Uganda Alphons Hennekens said the country’s improved agriculture productivity lies in the intensification of cropping systems by using fertilisers, improved seeds, good agronomic practices and attracting investors for buying farmers produce.

Uganda’s rice production currently stands at 250 metric tonnes per year despite of the high demand for the crop that has nearly doubled, said Agriculture Minister Tress Bucyanayandi, adding that Irish potato production has also remained low.

IITA is a Nigerian based non-profit agriculture organisation started in 1967,   working with other partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate goals of reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

IITA's research-for-development focuses on addressing the development needs of tropical countries across Africa.