allAfrica.com: Uganda: A Way Around Cassava Diseases (Page 1 of 1)

Farmers in the country will go a step ahead if the ongoing establishment of a genetic platform for cassava species aimed at improving the crop succeeds. Scientists who are particularly involved in the research of how to administer and control modified plant and animal products, have embarked on setting up a centre at National Crops Resource Research Institute (NCRRI) at Namulonge in Wakiso District for purposes of modifying the cassava species.

The group, with the help of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (Asareca), launched its cassava biotech capacity project through its Agro-biodiversity and Biotechnology (Agrobio) programme at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NCCRI) on April 30, 2008.

This idea has come at a time when there are soaring food prices in the markets countrywide and the world over, and efforts to maintain food security and improve people's livelihoods have not stopped.

Cassava's ability to produce food under marginal conditions has made it a popular crop among the poor farmers for purposes of food security. The researchers obtained this idea from their counterparts at Donald Danforh Plant Science Centre (DDPSC) in the United States.

The scientists there introduced a genetically modified gene in a cassava plant to confer resistance to Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), which research results proved successful.

This research has been carried out in several countries in Africa of which Uganda is now involved.

The National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) through NCRRI is currently collaborating with DDPSC by participating in the process of developing the transgenic lines in the US.

The long term aim is to improve farmers' preferred but highly sceptical cassava by introducing CMD resistance genes while retaining the superior storage root traits. Ugandan scientists are currently conducting the initial laboratory and plant transformation work alongside DDPSC scientists to speed up the research process.

According to records at NCRRI at Namulonge detailing the profile of this research, cassava is the most consumed crop in East and Central Africa with over 30 million tons of it being produced annually.

On average, the value of cassava production between 1961 and 1999 amounted to$2b (about Shs3.4 trillion). The record indicates that Uganda is the third largest producer of cassava in the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (Asareca), with a total production of 5 million metric tons per year. But of late, the cassava mosaic and other pests have reduced the cassava hence the start of this research process.

According to the scientists, cassava mosaic and cassava brown streak disease are the most important constraints affecting cassava production in Uganda and most parts of African countries. Other viruses include Africa Cassava Mosaic Virus (ACMV) and the East African Cassava Mosaic Virus (ECMV) which is transmitted by a pest called Whitefly Bemicia Tabaci.

Dr Charles Mugoya, a senior scientist working with Asareca, said the $110,000 project fund is part of the $320,000 about (Shs585m) that was shared among three countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Dr Mugoya said the intervention was part of Asareca's commitment to develop Naros in the country.

Dr Anton Bua, an Agric-Economist and Team Leader for National Cassava Programme, said Uganda did not have facilities to undertake advanced science like biotechnology which is a world order. "Because of Asareca's support, we will now build capacity to perform very high and advanced science which we normally borrow from Europe and America," said Dr Bua.

He said the intervention would build local human capacity in using the advanced science facilities rather than relying on developed countries as has been the case.

"It will also be cost effective and cheap for Uganda to develop local technologies using locally based facilities. Uganda would also have a comparative advantage in the East and Central Africa region to conduct advanced research for regional countries," he added.

According to Dr Bua, a specialist in developing high yielding cassava varieties, the products that would be generated from laboratories, like cassava disease resistant varieties, will be disseminated and promoted for the local farmers.

"Starch rich and high ethanol cassava varieties will be grown by farmers and sold to industries for bio-fuel and starch-based products. There will be products for pharmaceuticals and textiles which will in turn benefit the farmers," he said.

This is the second research carried out on plants to improve their quality, the first being the ongoing test on the East African highland banana species.

Dr 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 on preventing pests, wilts and weevils against the East African highland banana.

The journalists were on a fact-finding tour on the topic: 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.

They say the biotechnology technique will be of benefit to the farmers by improving the cassava and banana species because there will be improved resistance to pests and diseases on the crops.

Doctor Geoffrey Arinaitwe, who is in charge of the pests' 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 Kitinase genes obtained from rice.

The group is further studying whether the Kitinase genes can destroy Nematod pests, wilts and other weevils which destroy banana roots. Dr Geoffrey 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 one acre plot at Kawanda. This is because the scientists want to prove if actually the Kitinase genes can destroy the said banana diseases.

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