allAfrica.com: Uganda: Improving the Banana Species (Page 1 of 1)

Farmers in the country will go a step ahead if the ongoing research on how to curb pest infection in the East African High Land Banana commonly known as matooke succeeds.

Scientists who are particularly involved in the research of how to administer and control modified plant and animal products have embarked on the East African High Land Banana because it is consumed by majority of the people in Uganda.

Doctor Andrew Kiggundu, a senior scientist at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories Institute in Kawanda told science journalists recently that already, there is an ongoing research of preventing pests, wilts and weevils against the East African Highland Banana.

The journalists were on a fact finding tour on the topic of the use of Biotechnology and Biosafety in the modernisation of plant and animal species at Kawanda Research Institute recently.

Biotechnology and Biosafety is a technique used by scientists to improve products from living organisms for purposes of safeguarding and maintaining their quality for specific use.

According to the scientists, the above technique will be of benefit to the farmers by improving the said species. They will improve resistance to pests and diseases for the identified species, crops will be able to grow in drought conditions and flooded areas and there will be low fat and cholesterol in meat.

According to Dr Kiggundu, Dr Geoffrey Arinaitwe who is in charge of the pest and other weevils research discovered at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium that a fungus called the Black Sigatoka which is the major destroyer of the East African Highland Banana can be destroyed by a gene obtained from rice called Kitinase gene.

The group is further studying whether the Kitinase gene can destroy Nematod paste, wilts and other weevils which destroy banana roots. Dr Arinaitwe obtained the above fungus and transferred it to the banana cells. They were brought to Uganda in test tubes early last year and placed in the laboratory at Kawanda.

They were later transferred into green houses and are being tested in a confined area which is one acre of land at Kawanda. This is because the scientists want to prove if actually the Kitinase gene can destroy the said banana diseases.

According to Dr Kiggundu, they have chosen to carry out the research on bananas because it is a widely consumed item in East Africa. However, the scientists say, in case it is proved that the Sigatoka fungus can be destroyed by the Kitinase gene, they will move to carrying out a research on other pests that are destroying plants and animals such as cassava, maize, coffee, sweet potatoes, beans, pigs, cattle and poultry.

Dr Danton Kabuye from the department of crop protection Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries said other benefits of using the Biotechnology and Biosafety technique will include a reduction in phosphorus pollution in the water bodies and reduced allergy substances in crops like peanuts and wheat.

The researchers are however not sure if the improved product should be given to farmers. This is because there is no existing law on Biotechnology and Biosafety that can help control the products if they are to spread in the Ugandan market. What is in place is the draft legislative policy on Biotechnology and Biosafety that has been tabled before the cabinet for final approval.

However the scientists are willing to train farmers on the subject matter.

The scientists have therefore asked Parliament to speed up the process of approving the legislative policy that will help in the administration and control of the modified plant and animal products which they say is flocking the Ugandan marketing amongst the imported items.

The policy that mainly targets the regulation of Biotechnology and Biosafety products was tabled before Parliament for final approval eight years ago. This was revealed by the executive Secretary, Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST), Dr Maxwell Otim at Mukono in a two day media training workshop on the theme "Keeping the media updated on the progress of Biotechnology and Biosafety in Uganda".

According to Dr Otim the draft policy on Biotechnology and Biosafety is aimed at initiating scientists from drafting a bill to regulate the use of modified products.

He said such a bill can later be tabled before Parliament for amendment as a law. Mr Arthur Makara, a senior science officer in charge of Biosafety with UNCST, said scientists in Uganda are still carrying out research in the above subject in order to find out whether such improved products are suitable for consumption in the country. He said for such research to be successful, we need a law in place to manage and regulate it.

According to Makara, there is already an influx of Biotechnology and Biosafety products from developed countries being imported into the country.

"UNCST is a government body with a very clear mandate to regulate and manage science developments in this country, for it to succeed in its work, we need a policy and law in place when carrying out research on areas of Biotechnology and Biosafety.

This will enable us to regulate the finished products in the near future. We are therefore calling upon the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to take up the issue of Biosafety law very seriously because in one way or another, products are already in our markets." Makara said adding that Kenya has already passed a policy on Biotechnology and Biosafety and is in the process of enacting a law to regulate the finished products.

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